Life After Death
by Jo A Curl
Summary: (4) TOS Barn/Vicki does life go on after death, how will this premise affect Barnabas and Vicki as he finds his life will become one with a Frankenstein monster that wants nothing more than to be as normal as the rest of the world. How will this affect the residents of Collinwood when one doctor decides he can play god and create new life through animation?
1. Chapter1

Chapter 1

Prolog

My name is Victoria Winters; my life has taken an unexpected course since my journey to this house high on top of Widow's Hill. I find myself caught in a timelessness that is like this very house I occupy. Like the great lady, the matriarch of this house, it is as timeless as age itself. I think to the past, for I have lived in the past and I have escaped death on many occasions. Which brings me to this point where I question, is there life after death? I follow the laws of god and man and feel that there are higher planes to aspire and embrace. I believe that life at conception starts a new journey, similar to the one that brought me here three years ago.

In that time, I have lived with this family and have embraced them as my own. I have experienced things most mortals would tremble at and I have faced my own demons. I have loved, been loved, lost love and found love again. I believe that as in life from conception to the time of developing and learning, that to stop learning would be the end of the ones very own existence. That when the brain function ceases in the shell we are born, it continues on to another form, another birth a new life after death. So begins a a new cycle and a new world to grown and learn,

Collinwood Vicki's bedroom

Vicki put down her pen sat back and looked around the room she had grown to love and be comfortable in for the past three years. Standing she looked to the window seat walked to it and sat. Peering out to the grounds below she sighed. She thought back to her first night arriving here in this gloomy huge house.

Vicki's memories

Then she was young, excited and curious. Why had she been offered this job to the very troubled young boy David? She had come to a house to meet a woman that was cold, austere and very daunting. This meeting was after her long journey on the train. Her first steps into the great drawing room she paused to look around and felt a sense of finality with the closing of the set of oaken doors and the rather dour looking woman that posed in front of those doors. She turned to look from her employer to a set of French windows overlooking the front of the house; Vicki had felt her heart beating rapidly with anticipation and fear. What did she have to fear? Her thoughts were tumbling over why she was there standing in that great hallway holding her suitcase feeling out of her element.

The fear could not be from the unknown, it was all unknown and just awaited to be learned. It was from the uncertainty she just might find out who she was and whom her parents were. Then would she be disappointed or find the pot at the end of the long dreamed of rainbow? Or would there be disappointment that they did not live up to her expectations? She just wanted a family for so long that sometimes she wondered if she should just be happy with her lot in life or did she really want what she had wished? There was an old adage that kept tumbling through her mind, be careful for what you wish. Or you may get it and not like what you get.

Pushing aside those thoughts, she knew that for now that had to wait. She would take whatever was dealt to her and accept it as her lot in life and learn to love it or live with it. She had to acclimate herself to her new surroundings and what had been a very hostile environment. Between David and his father they both had created situations that seemed to be designed to torment and drive her away.

David had been so troubled; she had thought him to be misunderstood but a very bright boy with way too much time on his hands to create mischief. He had spent so much time alone that he had formed relationships with the resident supernaturals. In the beginning Vicki thought all his imaginary friends had been invented in his active imagination.

His father was a functional alcoholic that was more of a playboy than a father and had moved back to Collinwood with David after his wife; Laura had suffered a break down and was institutionalized. Mrs. Stoddard had put David in the local school but soon found that there was a problem. Roger had neglected to tell his sister about his son's problem with fire. David had tried to burn them all to death when they lived in Augusta.

After being enrolled in school David was caught trying to set a maintenance closet on fire and was expulsed from school. Elizabeth Stoddard was then forced to bring in a governess for her nephew and the current titleholder of the Collins name. Elizabeth was a loving mother to her daughter but she was also a loving Aunt and surrogate mother to her nephew.

Elizabeth's Memories

To secure the only male heir apparent to her control and supervision Elizabeth offered her brother a job at the family cannery. In return she was to be given sole guardianship over David. With the need of a tutor or live in governess Elizabeth had to use the one way she knew how to bring home an unknown Collins. So when Elizabeth offered the job to Victoria this woman who had been a total stranger offered a waif a job in the big house o the hill. To Vicki's ignorance, she was that unknown Collins that was being brought to Collinwood and as far as Elizabeth was concerned; she was brining her daughter home.

With all these negotiations and mechanizations going on behind her back, Vicki was offered the job at Collinwood. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard wanted her child home with her so she could be where she needed to be. So enter one Victoria Winters, a young female from the Hammond Foundling Home of New York City.

Victoria's bedroom Collinwood

That had been her introduction to Collinwood almost three years ago. Elizabeth Stoddard had brought her to this room and said it would be her bedroom. Having shared a dormitory until the age of eighteen with the other children in the foundling home, Vicki had felt over whelmed with the huge room, that had held priceless antiques, a huge four poster bed with canopy, a lovely fireplace with beveled glass and antique plating. The dresser had been late 19th century and was filled with various useless small drawers for which she found uses. The armoire was perfect for her meager wardrobe.

The room had been decorated with area carpeting slightly worn but still beautiful. A wingback chair with table for reading and a lovely Louise the sixteenth desk with petite point chair that matched the bedside table. This had been her room now for over three years and was feeling like her home. Victoria leaned over placing her head on her folded arms and studied the tree at the edge of the wood line. It was a mighty and proud oak, at least easily eighty feet tall, now standing like a sentinel against the backdrop of the woods, its long large branches stretched over an expanse of thirty feet in either direction. It was a fitting backdrop for this great house. Why not should that majestic and strong tree such as that oak standing to protect the boundaries of this house be a part of what was Collinwood?

Fall was on them and with the hint of a first frost in the air; the leaves on that tree had already begun its photosynthesis of turning colors. They were beautifully large leaves vibrant in color and were slowly with each new storm bringing more of the leaves down. She watched a pile of leaves swirl in a tumultuous tempus at the base of the tree, causing the dance of fall to look poetically beautiful in a surreal sort of way. Glancing up she looked at the dark sky now softly lit by the half moon behind the tree, Vicki could almost feel it was a tranquil look but for the fact the tree seemed to impose its nature over the entire area it took up. She knew that very same tree took on a more ominous look in the stark winters. It had seemed to become alive with is huge arms stretching out to give a fertile imagination vent to it being prepared to grab and gobble up the unsuspecting innocent that dared to cross beneath its boundaries.

Sighing she glanced to the clock by her bedside table and blinked, "Oh my." She had not realized that it was nearly six thirty. Barnabas would be arriving shortly for their date. She had to decide what she would wear tonight. She had been tempted to wear her blue jeans and sweater. She somehow got the feeling that Barnabas did not approve when she wore pants. Turning to her closet she looked at the meager fare her wardrobe offered and she sighed, well nothing for it but her regular standby blue dress. Pulling the dress from the hanger, she laid it on the bed, then stepped to her dresser to find a matching ribbon to use in her hair.

Methodically as she had since the age of eight she began to get ready, taking meticulous care with her hair, light make up, and dress. Hearing the wind whip against the window, she turned to frown, another nor'easter was beginning to brew to the north and she sighed. Walking back to the closet she opened the door and stopped. The room had grown cold and the air filled with the soft scent of jasmine. "Josette?" Vicki pulled her sweater from the closet and turned looking the room over.

"Oui Cheri." The figure formed in the corner of her room.

Vicki smiled; she had made fast friends with Josette in the past when she had saved Vicki from the horrible fate that Morgan Matthew would have delivered. It had been a fate filled night and had opened the door to her friendship with the resident ghost of Collinwood. Josette along with the other widows had saved her from certain death. It was not only the beginning of a friendship with Josette; it was also the discovery that David did not have imaginary supernatural friends.

She had become a firm believer in the supernatural inhabitants of Collinwood with her introduction to two Ghosts. Before Josette had appeared to her she had seen the spectral form of Bill Malloy in the deserted wing of Collinwood. Seeing Bill Malloy had sincerely convinced her there that there was life after death in many forms. This one appearing to be the most prevalent one that was so openly displayed by the nocturnal residents that was such an integral part of this old house.

"Victoria a time of great need is coming. Soon, you will be asked to make a decision and you must weigh your feelings before you respond. You must know that Barnabas is very much in love with you and he will wish to ask you a question."

Vicki's breath came short and with trepidation thinking about this question. "How do you feel about Barnabas?"

There was the question she had repeatedly posed to herself over and over. 'How did she feel about Barnabas?' She had worried she fell into this courting relationship that had been ongoing for over six months. She wondered if she was feeling lonely and went to the easy relationship with Barnabas or if it had been a need for contact with another after the death of Burke. She had not wanted to examine her relationship with Barnabas because it had become comfortable. She knew she would according to the laws of society, she would be expected to be a productive human being, meet someone fall in love, get married, have children, be a grandmother and then die. She had no higher aspirations except to be happy at this time, and for the most part Barnabas did make her happy. He was the perfect gentleman. His manners so old world, and attention so concentrated that sometimes, she felt a little over whelmed by his attention.

Then there was the mysterious side to him, the side that he kept personal and away from her. This did bother her a little; nothing was secret about her to him. She looked around the room. "Josette, I think I am falling in love with him. I just need more time."

Josette smiled and glided around the room, drifting on the very air that circulated the room. "You will know when the time is right. I am here to prepare you for when the time will come and it will come chéri. I just do not wish you to say something if you do not mean it with your whole heart."

Vicki smiled, "I know you are a very good friend Josette, I do miss your company and I miss you." Vicki said softly she thought back to those days so long ago when she sat in this very room with her friend and they talked of their lives and their loves. That had been the time she had found herself thrown back to the late seventeen hundreds.

"I am always here for you chéri, even when the time comes for me to be reborn into another life, I shall carry this love for you with me and await your arrival on the other side."

The room's temperature returned to normal and the smell of jasmine dissipated. Vicki shrugged into her sweater as Carolyn knocked on her door. "Vicki!" Carolyn opened the door and poked her head into the room smiling. Carolyn looked radiant in her pink dress, her hair done up in a sophisticated upsweep making her look worldly and of course beautiful.

"Gregory tonight?" Vicki asked as she walked towards her friend.

Carolyn laughed, "Of course, we are going to Portland. He is entertaining business partners tonight and wants me as his trophy girl on his arm." She preened loving the idea of being so sought after and admired by others that she gladly played a role Vicki found degrading.

Vicki kept her opinion to herself watching her teeter on her four-inch heels. "You seem to be seeing a lot of Gregory lately?"

"Oh yes, he is quite the dream boat and I love being with him, he makes me feel special." Carolyn giggled and Vicki could readily see she was smitten with the man.

"Well that is what is important that you feel special to the man you are with." Vicki said wistfully as she watched Carolyn step about her room.

"You sound like you don't feel special with Barnabas? Is there a problem? Oh speaking of he is waiting in the drawing room."

"Oh no, he makes me feel very special, I have never had so much wonderful attention lavished upon me as I have with him. He is the kind of man any woman would love to have as their very own."

Carolyn got a curious look on her face she studied the distant look her friend was trying to hide. "You miss Burke and you are wondering what it would have been like had he lived." Carolyn stated it matter of fact and turned to the door.

"How do you know that?' Vicki was astonished, that was exactly what had been bothering her since Quentin, Barnabas and Willie rescued her. She had felt disjointed and at a loss, she had come so close to the one death that had frightened her the most. Being burned alive was a nightmare for her. It was the main fear she had always kept to herself and was not prone to discussion. When the girls had played truth or dare and she had been asked what would be the worse way she could think of to die, the first thought had been death by fire. This was one time that it had nearly come true. It had shaken her to the core of her being.

"Because I felt the same thing after I lost Joe to Maggie. I wondered if I had made a mistake and I wondered what it would have been like had I done what mother wanted and married Joe." Carolyn plopped down on Vicki's bed with a bounce looking up at her friend.

"You are just like me in a lot of ways Vicki, you have the same emotions and feelings and you have the same insecurities and fears, so I figured with the moodiness you displayed recently, that you were going through the what I like to call 'the what if's'. It is kind of natural you know."

Though Carolyn was a couple of years younger than her, she was a very bright girl. She pretended to be flighty and shallow. However, Vicki knew she was far from any of those and she actually did care about Vicki and her feelings, she just did not show it as readily. Vicki stopped turned and hugged her. "Thank you Carolyn, you helped me so much just now and I can't begin to tell you how much."

Carolyn laughed, "No biggie, sometimes you just need to hear it said out loud to believe it, now come on Greg will be here shortly and I am sure that my cousin is very anxious to see the beauty he is going to be sporting on his arm tonight at Q's place on the lake."

Drawing room

Quentin stood waiting for his date. Drink in hand; leaning against the fireplace mantel he gave the appearance of cosmopolitan casual sliding his right hand into his pants pocket to complete the picture. "So, you and Vicki are going to Q's? Mind of Daphne and I tag along we could make it a double date for the night."

Barnabas smiled, "I would welcome the company shall we ask Vicki when she comes down?" Quentin sipped his drink looked up as Daphne entered, her slender tall figure encased in a three piece pant suit, her hair parted in the center and tied back with a ribbon. She was the picture of youth, beauty and health.

"My dear may I say how absolutely charming you look." Quentin set his glass down and stepped to her to take her hands in his kissing her on the cheek. Noting the lovely flush of color that came so readily to her cheeks and allowed that adorable dimple poke through on her right cheek.

Eyes shining brightly she spoke softly, "Thank you. And you look very handsome too."

West Wing Ballroom.

Harlan Waddington, climbed up on the ladder in the ballroom of the west wing of Collinwood. His oversized body was daunting without the height of the ladder, he was a young man that had been directed with his desire to learn and be accepted in a community that thought of him as a giant and intimidating.

His nature had been gentle and his voice soft even though he towered over others by a good foot. Born to Wanda and Charlie Waddington, he was never to know his mother because she died giving birth to him. His father had raised him the best he could but being a man that was driven to work and forget the loss of his wife and love, he had brought in his sister to help raise his son.

Lorraine James had been a good surrogate mother to the boy that was her brother's boy. However, there had been a reticent on the boy's part to accept her fully as his mother. She put her life on hold and loved the boy wholly, even after his father had passed and left them on their own to fend for themselves. Lorraine had found job after job to help keep food on the table, and when Harlan was eighteen she paid for his admission to electrical union. So, Harlan became the local electrician and enjoyed his work, it gave him time to think and be with himself.

On rare occasions would he find a chatty homeowner and with his quiet voice would give only cursory responses to the many questions until the homeowner got tired and moved on, with an impression that Harlan was short on brains. Tonight he climbed up the ladder to check the last of the west wing wiring in the ceiling and was pleased with all that had been done. Stepping down the ladder he walked to the electrical switch box and turned on the power.

With the power restored, the current surged through an open wire it arched and caused Harlan to frown and walk quickly to the ladder, stepping up on the metal frame of the ladder he looked up at the wiring and saw a wire that had not been capped. It had been years and he had felt the bite of a current many times and not wanting to have to get down off the ladder he used his ungloved hand to reach for the cap in his pocket and then the wire, when his hand connected to the wire he felt the ladder begin to wobble. Looking down he frowned seeing the foot had been trapped on top of a tool he bucked the ladder to shift it and felt the ladder begin to topple. Instinctively he reached forward and made contact with the current filled wiring and felt the shock of the electricity shoot though the ladder and his body. The electrical surge sent a shock through the entire house causing the house lights to blink and then go out. However for Harlan, he was dead before his body crashed to the floor of the ballroom. Harlan lay on his back, his eyes going dim and his life flashing before his eyes.

He lay for three minutes knowing he should have been better to his aunt and he should not have been so stupid to do the one thing he had cautioned others to not do and that was touch open wiring. His life and his memories faded from his body he felt peace and he waited for the next journey of his life.

Elizabeth looked up from her desk seeing the house was in total darkness she was not sure what had happened but it was definitely not the weather that caused this outage. Walking to the cupboard she found a flashlight and started into the hallway and headed to the west wing in search of Harlan to see if he could pin point the problem. Entering the room the flashlight's beam narrow and limited danced around the room as she advanced towards the center shadows that appeared to be a fallen ladder. "Harlan?" She called stepping forward.

Her toe caught the hardness on the floor and she felt her body tumble forward so that she lay face down on the fallen Harlan. A scream of such intensity filled the room and reacted around and down the hallway. Quentin turned to look with concern to his cousin Barnabas, "Elizabeth?" He stated with his sudden movement towards the sound of the scream with Barnabas closely behind, followed by Daphne and now Vicki coming down the stairs with Carolyn.

Carolyn walked to the kitchen where she found the fuse box and opened the door. Looking in she saw two burned fuses, replacing them she threw the switch and watched as the lights flickered and came back. Turning she dashed off towards the west wing ballroom and paused watching anxiously while Quentin and Barnabas helped Elizabeth off of the fallen Harlan,. This allowed Daphne go down on bended knees to check out thenow dead Harlan.

"I am sorry he is dead, someone needs to call the sheriff and an ambulance to have him taken to the morgue." Daphne stood with a look of compassion and sadness edging her pretty features. Hearing the arcing of the overhead exposed wire, Quentin looked around the room. Stepping to the hallway he found the switch box. Looking into the room he began to throw switches to see which one of the switches sent current to the overhead wiring and found the right one. Cutting power to the switch he entered back into the room.

"It looks like he got electrocuted by that exposed wiring over head." Quentin assessed the situation. Barnabas looked around to make sure everything else appeared to be secure and not a danger to the others he walked to the doorway to check on Elizabeth.

Vicki carefully handed Elizabeth over to Carolyn, 'Maybe you should take her to the drawing room Carolyn. I am going to call Sheriff Patterson." Vicki quietly left the room to call the sheriff's department. Daphne looked around the room looking for something to cover Harlan's body, finding a tablecloth she came back and gently laid the covering over his face with his now fixed and sightless eyes.

Collinsport Hospital Emergency Room

Eric Lang was on duty at the emergency room. He had been waiting for Julia's return from Windcliff when the meat wagon rolled under the awning of the emergency room entrance. Watching the bagged body being unloaded he waited for them to bring the remains in and followed them down to the morgue. He had never seen such a huge man before in his entire career. Doing a cursory exam he smiled, this had been the body he had been awaiting to finish his experiment and to move Barnabas on to another phase of curing him of his problem. Shifting to the tag he noted the man had no known living relatives and nodded.

Walking to the sidewall he called his clinic and waited for Beth to answer the phone. "Find Harry Johnson and tell him to get over to the morgue, there is a volunteer for research under the name of Waddington, he is to pick him up take him back and put him in the solution."

Beth sighed deeply, she did not like this messing with the dead and more importantly all the body parts he seemed to have been collecting over the last few months was beginning to really get to her and creep her out. If it were not for the fact he held her life in his hands, Beth would have left a long time ago and now she wanted more than ever to get the hell out of this house.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eric Lang's house Collinsport Maine

Hanging up the phone she walked to the basement of the clinic. "Got another one Doc wants you to go and pick it up, Waddington at the morgue." She did not like Harry; as a matter of fact she did not trust Harry and she certainly knew he did not like her. She oft times wondered if she would wake up dead in this house because he got upset and decided to cut her throat in her sleep.

Harry smiled and it was not a pleasant smile, he just had that affect, with his pinched features and beady little eyes set too close together to make him look anything other than what he was an ex convict. She knew his mother worked for the Collins Family and it was a big deal mostly to him, she could have cared less, all she wanted was out of this go no where town and away from the doctor that made her skin crawl. The only redeeming part of this doctor was the fact he was engaged to a compassionate nice lady doctor whom Beth admired.

Harry rolled his compact stocky body from the bunk stood up and rubbed himself with a wicked glint and smile. Beth rolled her eyes turned her back on him and listened to his mocking laughter. "You know you want me, you just have to admit it and we can do what we both need and that is all night long."

Beth wanted to bathe, this man made her want to run and jump in the shower with her clothing on and bathe the scent and feel of him from her very existence. Hell if he kept up with how he was acting, she was pretty sure she would be the one to help him wake up dead with a knife in his throat or heart, she would gladly drive it into him so deep that it would take surgery to remove it.

Collinwood Drawing Room

George Patterson held Elizabeth's hand tenderly in his own, "Now Elizabeth you say the lights went out and you knew Harlan was working on the electric and you found him there?" He watched her other hand lift with a slight tremble and she took a deep drink of the sherry.

"Yes, George, I thought if we had a problem have him deal with it while he was here. I pretty much let him work on his own all day so we could make sure we did not have a repeat of what happened the last time. When I entered I saw the ladder had fallen and then fell on him. That poor, poor man such a gentle creature." Liz looked upset and distracted while George patted her free hand.

"Harlan was a gentle soul, he was a solitary man that kept pretty much to him self."

Liz nodded, "I went to school with his aunt Lorraine, she was a dear soul that never had children even gave up her life to raise her nephew and she idolized him."

George reluctantly released her hand and stood watching her cradle the sherry glass in both hands. "Well, I am going to make my report if you think of anything else, you call and let me know. Liz, he went quick, he felt no pain and he had a relatively good life for all he was a big man he never bothered anyone and was a model citizen."

Liz set her glass down and stood with George's help. "Thank you George for all that you've done. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help. If they need help with the funeral expenses, have Trask contact me; I shall take care of it for him. I kind of feel responsible."

George wanted to hold her in his arms, he wanted to pull her close and whisper that he still loved her and would always be there for her. He knew that it would not be appropriate to say anything, not with his wife dying at home and his kids thinking he was a good man that loved his wife unconditionally.

George reasoned in his way he did love his wife unconditionally but his heart would always belong to Liz Stoddard. With a heavy heart and great reluctance he took his leave and headed back to his office. With this report he would easily be there for another three hours before he went home to watch his wife slowly die from the disease that had claimed her young life and held to it with a tenacity that was unforgivable.

Q's on the Ocean between Collinsport and Portland

It was a somber group that drove to Q's that night. Vicki held Barnabas' hand with a tension to her hold, which sent a message of concern through his body. Since their return from the desert temples she had been withdrawn and pensive. His fear had been she had seen him when he went vampire creature on Ra and that had created a problem. Then he had to consider it could be she was still dealing with the aftermath of her addiction to the sodium pen Athol and was trying to put that behind her. She sat so quietly withdrawn pressed against his body she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

Barnabas anxious, would she notice he had no heartbeat? He could not always allow that to come between their intimacy and he would need to talk to Lang and Hoffman soon, he wanted a life that was more than just a half life and half death. He wanted a life with this woman at his side and he wanted to live that life to the fullest.

Daphne had slid across the bench seat to press up against Quentin while he navigated the road to his favorite spot along the coast. He had noticed the lack of conversation and frankly he was glad he did not have to feel the need to do inane chatter along the roadway. His mind was set on where he wanted his relationship to go with Daphne and what she expected from their relationship. He had to admit he was falling for this lovely doe eyed girl at his side and wanted to protect and keep her safe. She had told him a little of her missing pieces from her life. Her work with Julia to try regression and the little success they had in achieving some of her past.

Daphne relaxed against Quentin's body and rested her head on Quentin's shoulder. "I understand from Marco we have a live band performing tonight, I have requested my box upstairs and if you want I can arrange for us to have one downstairs and we could dance."

Barnabas peered down at the thick head of dark hair that laid against him, "Do you wish to dance tonight my dear?' His voice was filled with his concern his hand gently stroke her cheek.

"I think not tonight. I am rather tired and I fear I might step on your toes." She offered half smile to soften any negative intent of her words.

Daphne sighed, "Well perhaps we should try to dance tonight, it might help us out of the doldrums we are having over that poor man's unfortunate death." Daphne had to be the voice of reason on an island of despair and she had stated what had affected them the most, the death of poor Harlan. Vicki thought about it and had to admit that perhaps a distraction with music and dancing would allow them to forget for a little while they had witnessed a death and that life does go on. Sliding her chin up the front of Barnabas' coat she smiled.

"Well if you can tolerate me possibly stepping on your toes, I will be happy to share your arms in a dance tonight." Whispering against his chest she felt her face flush with her embarrassment with where her thoughts were taking her. She wanted to be held by him and she wanted to make love to him but knew that would have to wait if they got married she would be a virgin on their wedding night. The one thing in this world she knew was hers to share with the man she loved was her virginity. This lesson had been the one thing that the nuns had preached to her through her school days and into her teens.

Many of the other girls had fallen to the wayside and had teased her about being 'wait to the wedding night Vicki' like it was a bad thing. For Vicki it was her choice to remain chaste and she did not regret her decision. Four of the girls that had followed their passions had ended up pregnant and left alone. So Vicki remained true to her convictions. Now resting up against this man that had raised a whole world of new emotions in her mind and body she was glad she had kept her self pure if for nothing else to please him and to enjoy her first time with her one true love.

There it was again at the back of her mind, those two words, 'true love'. She felt her body tense letting her mind wander to what she had considered her true love. She closed her eyes and remembered the first time she met him, this man.

Victoria's past memories

Collinwood Foyer 2 years earlier

She and David had walked to the foyer; she had finished with him for the day's studies and was sending him on his way to play with a cautionary note to be sure to be back in time for dinner, when David had brought up Willie Loomis.

"You know Mrs. Johnson gets upset when you are late for supper."

David scoffed softly, "I think she was upset because Mr. Loomis was not back for supper."

Just the mention of his name had caused her to tense and she looked away uncomfortably, 'David don't you worry about Mr. Loomis, now just be sure to be back in time."

"You don't like him much do you?" It was an innocent enough question but not one Vicki was ready to answer.

"David, are you going out to play or not?"

Vicki had never felt comfortable around Willie since that time he had tried to force his attention on her in the library and had blocked her from leaving. He had frightened her to the point she had raised her voice, which had attracted the attention of Mrs. Stoddard. Elizabeth had charged into the room angry and ready to throw Willie out. Had it not been for Jason's intervention, Willie Loomis would have been out that night. If Willie was not being rude to Vicki trying to gain her attention he was pushing his attention on Carolyn.

Carolyn defended herself with a gun and after her mother discovered this information it sent Liz into a real terror and she tore into Jason about keeping him under control. After that Vicki had did her best to avoid Willie but maintain a politeness around him for the sake of Mrs. Stoddard and the family.

Then Willie disappeared. It was this disappearance that David had attempted to discuss on his way out of the house that night and it had made Vicki uncomfortable to think about Willie or his whereabouts. Sending David on his way to play, Vicki had turned to walk to the drawing room to discover her employer was entertaining a family member.

When the man turned she was shocked, it was a familiar face, in modern clothing, he looked just like the portrait that hung in the foyer. Her surprise was immediate and her pleasure at meeting such a distinguish Collins family member charmed her. He turned with a kind smile and appreciative eye while he studied her in the hallway and listened to Elizabeth making the introduction to pause and speak with that oh so correct enunciation of "Why do you allow them to call you Vicki when your name is Victoria?"

Her immediate response had been " We are not very formal with each other, I really don't mind." He had taken her hand and kissed her knuckles, she had noticed his lips were cool and dry but it was the action that had touched her at that moment. When he kissed her hand he said, "The name Victoria is too beautiful for me to part with one syllable of it."

After that he apologized for needing to leave turned to bow formally to Vicki and smiled, "As well as you Victoria Miss Victoria Winters, good evening." She had turned and watched him leave, her mind filled with questions and feeling very touched by his old fashion ways. A few days later they met again at the old house and she felt an affinity to the man while he explained about the house, the arguments, the love, and the lives that had been lived in that house. She found him enchanting and formal in an old-world way.

Her fascination for the Collins cousin was placed on the back burner of her life. Because of her best friend Maggie had became very ill and Vicki had been called upon help sit with Maggie. It was on one such night that Maggie had become very petulant and tense when a storm began to blow through the town, bringing with it an omen of death and tragedy on the ill wind of the storm.

It was at this time, that Maggie's French doors had blown open and a figure of a man appeared in the doorway, scaring Vicki but oddly not affecting Maggie. Shortly after locking the doors and sitting with Maggie. Her father, Sam had returned home and Vicki had driven home in the hard winds and rain only to feel she was being followed the whole way home from Maggie's. That night Barnabas had come again to visit with her. He had heard she had been with Miss Evans and wondered how she was faring.

Carolyn had been very jittery that night; so much so when the lights went out and they were left alone in the dark both women huddled close together for security. That is when Barnabas made his appearance with a blown open set of doors and the wind behind him. It was also the night that Barnabas had told the tragic story of Josette and her unfortunate death. Though it had intrigued Vicki it had unsettled Carolyn sending her off to bed to ride out the rest of the night hopefully in a dead sleep.

Left alone he had apologized for upsetting Carolyn and hoped he had not upset her. Vicki was more intrigued than afraid and that is when Vicki had offered him her conjecture over the story he had told about Josette and the things happening then and now in Collinwood. Surprisingly as she thought about it, Barnabas had grown agitated and told her how clever she was, and she should be careful that what happened to Maggie would not happen to her.

Finding this an ominous warning, Vicki had made it a point to avoid Barnabas for a while; she began in earnest her interests in Burke Devlin. A man she thought would share the rest of her life with her and they would live happily ever after. Vicki had been in the study grading David's papers when George Patterson had come to Collinwood to let them know he was placing the town under curfew after sunset. Liz wanting Barnabas to know of the curfew had sent Vicki to the old house to tell him.

Old House Vicki's memories

She stood on the front steps and knocked she could not help but notice how much work Willie had accomplished in renovating the house. The improvements had been massive and enchanting. Something she had enjoyed witnessing from a distance. She was about to give up having knocked several times and not getting a response she was about to leave when the door opened and Barnabas stood in the door. "Oh Mr. Collins, I was beginning to think no one was at home." She apologized hugging close to her coat to keep the bitter wind from tickling her down her neck.

"I am sorry I was upstairs resting do come in." He had held the door open and she had thanked him stepping past him to enter to the foyer.

"Thank you, Mrs. Stoddard sent me down with a message, the sheriff has placed the town under a curfew. They don't want anyone out after dark especially women." The conversation had taken a turn to the missing Maggie Evans and the recent attacks on women; Vicki had prepared to leave when she saw it on the table, the music box that had belonged to Josette.

"Oh isn't that pretty what is it?" She pointed to the lovely piece; her eyes alight with seeing how old it looked and how delicate it appeared.

"Why it's a music box." He had lifted it to hand it to her.

"Does it still work?" She asked curious to see what tune it might play.

Lifting the lid, Barnabas handed it over and watched her with an intensity he had never seen on another of her age react as she transported back to the past to the music's call.

"Oh its lovely but I am being too much of a romantic. It reminds me of. . . ?"

He watched her intensely, "Yes?"

"Of a long, long, time ago." She had handed the music box back.

"Yes of the past, and the past was very beautiful, very beautiful in deed."

"Yes I am sure it was." She flushed thinking of how her imagination had transported to a ballroom of long ago filled with elegantly clad women in beautiful gowns, the air filled with exotic perfumed flowers and the sound of laughter and music filling the air.

Barnabas played with the lid of the music box glanced at her with a shrewd look and smiled, "You know I watched your face just now as you listened to the music and you seemed to be very transfixed."

"I did?" she laughed uneasily looked about and noticed it was getting dark. She had to get back to Collinwood and made her excuse to leave. She had not really noticed the unusual interest that Barnabas had taken in her. She had recalled saying that Mrs. Stoddard had been wondering where he had been lately and she missed seeing him.

Collinwood

It was not much later that Barnabas had shown up bringing an apologetic gift for Mrs. Stoddard and Vicki had admired the beautiful kerchief with the most delicate needle point she had ever seen to discover it had been a gift to Josette from the Queen of France. Vicki had been suitably impressed.

She had even said if she were to receive such a gift it would be something she would treasure for the rest of her life because it came from someone from her past. That is when she told Barnabas she had no past and was an orphan. She supposed he had felt sorry for her and that was why he was now offering her so much attention. It was also a trying time for her, Maggie's body had been found and she had died due to traumatic shock.

She had also started growing closer to Burke and found her life was just beginning to be planned for her until issues with David arose and he needed her attention. Then Burke died, it was tragic and hard to accept but for Barnabas who had been there to comfort and console. He had always been the perfect gentleman. Now here they were 'courting.' Vicki could consider her lot in life as fortunate to the point she was now quite wealthy and had found another love. But then she had to consider did she really love Burke, her doubts were the crux of her confusion and she was beginning to feel unsettled about what direction she was going. Perhaps this night spent with good company and with Barnabas on the dance floor would assuage those feelings and allow her to be happy or content.

Blue Whale

Willie sat at the bar drinking a beer as the nightlife began to settle down and come out. He had come a long way since he first encountered Barnabas those two years ago. He had done things, seen things and tried to forget things he never wanted to revisit again. Now with his life beginning to settle down; he found he was into a secure routine. Lifting his drink he sipped and watched the room from the mirror behind the bar. The door opened and a covered figure huddled beneath the hood of her coat entered. Willie watched the figure walk to a table and remove her coat.

Beth Chavez sat at the table and waited for the waitress to come and take her order. "Bob, send the lady a drink from me." Willie said softly watching her brush fingertips to push back her hair and pin it behind her ears. She was a blond and Willie was partial to blonds.

Bob waved Mattie over, "Ask the lady what she is drinking and take it to her compliments of Loomis here." Mattie patted Willie's back nodded and stepped to Beth's side.

"The dude at the bar wants to know what you will drink he wants to buy you a drink." Beth looked over at Willie, who had turned a quarter turn to nod and smile then turn back to his drink.

"What is he drinking?" Beth asked she was considering if she wanted company, he seemed harmless enough.

"He is drinking a draft beer." Mattie looked from Willie's drink back to her.

"Sure, that would be nice and ask him if he would like to join me." Beth shrugged the rest of the way out of her coat. She had to get away from the clinic as soon as Harry had returned. She did not like being around so many parts especially body parts.

Mattie went to Bob, "Draft same as Willie and Willie she wants to know if you would like to join her at her table." Now it was Willie's turn to decide if he wanted company and decided why not. Sliding from his stool, he hitched his pants up and sauntered with his drink in hand to her table. Smiling he stopped at the chair across from her and for the first time in a long time felt awkward.

"Hi, Loomis, Willie Loomis is my name." He shot out his hand and waited for her to shake it.

Beth took about five seconds to size him up, took his hand and squeezed his fingers then released. "Thank you for the drink, you want to sit down?"

Willie slid into an empty chair across from her. "So Willie is it?" She looked up watching Mattie set her drink down in front of her. Willie slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out two dollars and laid them on Mattie's tray.

"Yeah its Willie, Willie Loomis."

"Beth Chavez, nice to meet you Willie." She smiled lifting her glass to take a sip.

"Beth, pretty name for a pretty girl." He thought it sounded corny but he had to say something to break the long pauses he was sure to come up sooner than later.

"Thank you, so what brings you to this one horse town?" She looked around at the college crowd beginning to take over the dance floor and the jukebox.

"Oh, I came in with a friend, he left I stayed after I got a job at the Collins old house working for Barnabas Collins."

A name that was slowly making its way into her memory was the mention of a patient of Dr. Lang and Dr. Hoffman. "Oh, really, what do you do?"

Willie smiled, "Well about anything that needs to be done, right now I am finishing up the main living quarters of the old house renovating it back to its original state."

Beth was fascinated and the evening for the two went along with each beginning to form a friendship and setting a date for the upcoming Friday. When Willie left the bar that night he felt pretty good about his evening, it had been relaxing and fun. He was looking forward to seeing Beth at the Blue Whale on Friday. He just wished she had told him where she lived.

New York Hotel

Roger paced the hotel room in New York, Maggie and David had not returned from their shopping trip and he was beginning to get worried he and Haskell had delayed their supper reservations. "Do you know where they were going today Joe?" Roger asked pacing to the door of the suite of rooms and stepped out into the hallway looking up one side and down the other only pausing when he thought he heard the ding of the elevator.

"Maggie said something about going to the museum of natural arts and science, then they were going shopping at Macy's and Bloomingdales, they were suppose to be done before now."

Joe was getting worried as well joining Roger in the hallway. Both men paused and they listened and the elevator dinged again and this time a familiar voice shouted, "FATHER! GUESS WHAT?" David came barreling down the hallway followed by a harassed and upset looking Maggie. She looked like she had been put through hell with two skinned knees and a torn shirt. Joe rushed to her side putting a protective arm around her shoulders. Roger was shocked.

"My god what happened?" Roger escorted David back to help Joe lead Maggie back to the room. Maggie gingerly walked albeit slowly on shaky legs. She did look pale and upset.

David's chatter began to explain what had happened. "We left the park and was going to go to Bloomingdales when a bunch of boys about eighteen years old ran past Maggie and knocked her down trying to take her purse. Maggie would not let go and they kicked her and punched her and then I hit them and they knocked me down and then from no where a gust of wind came up knocked the boys down and then this figure of a dark man appeared in front of them and well, they all burst into flames!"

Roger's eyebrows went up as he listened the extraordinary story his son was telling. "David they did not burst into flames, they landed near a vendor and their jackets caught on fire, but Mr. Magic was there to help us and had he not, I fear we could have been far more seriously injured."

Maggie limped the rest of the way to their suite of rooms and let Joe lower her down on the nearest comfortable chair. "Mr. Magic?" Joe looked from Roger, to David back to Maggie.

"He was a street performer and that was his name Mr. Magic, he used some kind of vanishing powder and appeared instead of disappeared and he did use some tricks to send the boys scattering. He was rather big and formidable looking and it was amazing how he was able to dispatch them after they caught their coats on fire, he blew fire from his breath to send them on the way."

"Did you report it to the police?" Roger was already heading to the phone.

"Yes, they arrived and took my name and then called a cab to send us here, they did want me to go to the hospital but I really was not injured just really frightened and shook up." She looked to David and smiled. "He was my main hero he dove into them fighting, biting, scratching and kicking them away from me."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

David beamed proudly at being recognized as the hero. "I did not want them to hurt you Maggie and they were going to, one guy had a knife and I just knew he was going to stab you if you did not give him your purse."

Maggie caressed the purse, "This purse was my mother's purse, I would not have let it go no matter what." Her voice had grown soft with the thought of her mother and one of the only possessions she had kept after her mother had died.

Roger sighed, "You both are sure you are not hurt any worse than you are saying correct?" He was concerned and perhaps it was the concern that was making his voice sound a little less compassionate than it should have.

Maggie nodded, "I am sore and shook up but for the most part I am not injured enough to require treatment by a doctor." David lifted his pant leg to show his big bruise and he displayed it proudly.

"This is all I got out of the ruckus." Like most boys once the excitement is gone and time has passed, his next thought turned to his now growling stomach. "Are we going to order in tonight or go out?"

Roger looked at the disheveled Maggie and then to Haskell. "I leave the choice up to you Maggie."

Maggie smiled bravely, "I want New York in all its good and bad glory. I would like a few minutes to clean up and then we can keep our reservations at Max's" She pushed her self up gingerly and walked towards her bedroom. Roger and Joe watched her limp to her room with a soft frown playing between the two of them.

"David go change, we will have the desk call a cab." Roger turned to his son and held his hand out to him expecting him to take his hand in return. "Come along. We need to get you cleaned up and fed. We need to get Maggie back so she can lie down. I fear she is not going to be feeling this good tomorrow." Joe sat down feeling guilty for not being there for Maggie when she needed him. Sitting there he was thinking about this day's events; he was resolved to the fact that as long as he was not his own boss he would never be able to protect the ones he loved unless he had some free reign over his life.

Q's between Collinsport and Logansport

Daphne and Quentin sat at the corner table in the shadows of the room while the band played Unchained melody for the dancers. Quentin held her hand, lifting it to kiss her fingertips lightly and watch Vicki and Barnabas danced on the floor with the other couples.

"They make a cute couple don't they?" Quentin commented for something to say looking over to his date.

She had been watching them and nodded slowly. "I think he is very much in love with Vicki but Vicki is undecided to what she should do." Daphne spoke softly then turned to smile she noted Quentin's surprised.

"Really?" He looked back noting how Vicki pressed herself into Barnabas and he held her protectively in his arms while they danced around the room. "I think she is confused and trying to get past what happened to her, the second time must have been pretty horrifying."

He had been told how Barnabas had arrived just as Ra was going to purify her with fire. Barnabas had rescued her from being burned alive, in the process she had fainted from the freight and stress of the experience so had missed out on seeing Barnabas go vampire on Ra, for which he was grateful. That would have been tragic if not unforgivable by her standards to discover the man she thought she was falling in love was an undead creature of the night.

"Speaking of Quentin, when are we going to discuss what happened to me in that place?" Daphne's own voice had grown soft recalling being awakened in the cavern below the garage of the Stiles' brothers who had disappeared and abandoned their house by the sea.

Quentin smiled looked around the room then sighed. "I promise you that we will discuss it Daphne, we will discuss what happened. Not tonight, tonight we are going to enjoy ourselves and relax." Daphne held back the automatic response to protest and the frown and her tightened her lips marred her beauty. To release her tension she sighed softly.

"As long as you discuss it with me and not try to sweep it under the carpet hoping I will forget." She then relaxed and smiled.

Quentin chuckled, "My dear of one thing I know about you, I know you won't forget but tonight we all need this, we need a break from the supernaturalism and the whole Collinwood experience."

Barnabas pressed his lips close to Vicki's ear and spoke softly, "Vicki I have a gift for you. But before I give it to you, I want you to understand it is not what you are going to think. I know you feel you are not ready for the question I will wait to ask but hope that this pleases you and helps you understand my commitment to you."

He felt her tense when he spoke of commitment and his feelings, then she relaxed and pressed into his hold and spoke softly. "Thank you for understanding, so much has happened and it seems that the more I try to put it all behind me the more other things start to happen. The one thing I am sure of right at this moment in this time of my life Barnabas is that you are my constant, my anchor and my hero."

He held her closer smiling thinking about her words. "I want you to know Victoria, that in my life I have loved two women, one of which I shall never see again, she died. But you are one of the two that I have loved and my life would mean nothing without you being a part of it."

The words were perfect and said what she needed to hear from him. Then the song came to an end, they stepped apart turned to clap for the band and meandered back to their table to sit and look at the wine that had been brought to the table at Quentin's insistence.

The nor'easter was beginning to pick up the wind and sand throwing it against the windows of the building. Quentin glanced to the outside and noted the moon was completely obscured, his own thoughts were how would he explain to Daphne his life he had lead for nearly one hundred fifty years and should anything happen to his portrait how he would age and die. That he did not have to worry about being a werewolf but his offspring that had been born to him by Jenny did have to worry. He even wondered now what had happened to the twins and how their lives had ended. Holding in his sigh he glanced up watching Barnabas and Vicki return to the table.

"The band is very good Quentin, you should hire them to play here more often." Vicki commented she lifted her wine glass then smiled watching Barnabas reach into his coat pocket.

"I personally find the music to be very pleasing and very romantic." Daphne softly spoke she lifted her glass to swallow her drink and finished it off.

Vicki watched Barnabas pulled out a ring box and set it on the table. Taking his index finger he gently pushed it towards her. "I am calling this a promise ring, at least that is what Carolyn says that is what they are call now a days."

Vicki's heart skipped a beat and with fingers that trembled lifted the small box and opened it with a soft gasp. Inside was the most perfect cut antique sapphire ring. "This ring belonged to Josette Collins, it had been given to her by her father on her sixteenth birthday."

Barnabas took the ring from the box, lifting Vicki's right hand he placed the ring on her finger. Vicki watched mesmerized by the shear beauty of the stone and the design so delicate she studied the beauty while it rested on her ring finger of her right hand. This made it easier to accept and not make her panic as a form of an engagement ring.

"I choose to put this on your right hand because I reserve the right to claim your ring finger on your left hand when you are ready and the time is right." Barnabas lifted her hand to place a light kiss against the palm. He watched Vicki's eyes change colors with the run of emotions she was feeling at the moment.

She knew she should say something but there was so much going through her mind she could not bring herself to respond, she just smiled and felt the sting of tears; she was truly touched by his generosity.

Quentin broke the moment with a clap on Barnabas' shoulder. "Congratulations dear man, you and this lovely woman belong to each other and I wish you both the happiness in your relationship that you both so richly deserve."

Daphne shifted and turned to hug Vicki then hugged Barnabas. "Congratulations on your promise to each other, I wish you both all the luck and best wishes in the world and hope this is what you want from life." Though her words had been sincere, deep inside Daphne sensed the placement of the ring on Vicki's finger had unsettled her. Leaning over she whispered in her ear, "We can talk later if you like." Stepping back she felt her elbow snagged as Quentin guided her to the dance floor.

"Come my dear lets let them have a moment together, besides I have been wanting to hold you in my arms all night long."

Vicki looked to the ring then to Barnabas. "You don't mind that I am not ready just yet to take the next step for a commitment?" She asked hopefully she glanced from the ring back into his eyes and felt her world melting with that one single look.

He smiled, "I have always thought and said that a beautiful woman is worth waiting for no matter the time it takes. For you my dear I would wait an eternity." He kissed her hand again then he caught and held her gaze. He was caught up in the moment.

"Let us hope that it won't be that long and you won't test me on forever or an eternity again." Her laugh was infectious she spoke her gaze shifted to Daphne and Quentin on the dance floor.

Barnabas leaned over and kissed her lightly on her lips. "Now my dear let us discuss the next date and where you would like to go?" Vicki felt he was distracting her from what had happened by changing the subject.

"Do you know what I would like to do?" She smiled then she leaned back in her chair lifting her drink. She smiled with a twinkle in her eye.

Barnabas leaned back to get comfortable noting that the room was slowly dwindling down to a few couples and realized the hour had grown later with the onslaught of the impending storm that was now howling outside the window. "No, do you think I could read your mind my dear?"

She laughed, "Oh if only you could you would be very surprised where these crazy thoughts of mine were taking me right now." She sighed softly, "I think tomorrow, I would like to come to the old house and enjoy us." She said softly her eyes went distant and she thought about that Barnabas from so long ago and his passion for his Josette behind Jeremiah's back.

Barnabas smiled, "I enjoy us every day my dear but if it is your desire to spend time with me in my home, I would be very happy to share the evening with you and we could do whatever you wish."

Vicki chuckled softly, "I want to spend time with you either reading or playing chess or cards but time with you Barnabas. I would like it to be just the two of us enjoying the evening together and nothing more, no driving, no bands, no dancing unless it is to dance to the music we make in the music room together."

She had gone distant with her thoughts about how she had to resolve this conflict she was feeling about her feelings for him and she figured this was the way to do so. Perhaps if she spent more time with him just them without distractions she would be able to get her head on straight and know what her heart was telling her.

New York City

Maggie could not wait to get back to her room, her body was screaming out in pain from the bruises and contusions that she had suffered earlier. Now all she wanted was to lie in a tub of warm water and then go to bed. Roger walked through the door and held it for her while she with Joe's helped her to walk from the elevator. David had bounded ahead of them and caught the elevator for them and held it. Roger passed the front desk the concierge called to him. "Oh Mr. Collins a moment of your time please."

"You go on up, I will see what they want." Joe guided Maggie to the elevator and let David press the button to take them to the floor.

"Mr. Collins, a Detective Kojak was by and left his card, he was the one assigned to the case involving Miss Evans and he wanted to know when you got back, he would like to come by and speak with her."

Roger looked at the card and sighed, "Would you please call him and tell him we have returned, that Miss Evans is not feeling well but would be happy to entertain his questions." Roger handed back the card and nodded to the man.

Suite of Rooms Hilton Hotel

Entering his room, he went to David and Joe's room and knocked, "David, get ready for bed, you and I will go do your shopping tomorrow, and we will let Maggie rest, Joe you are going to have to meet with Wickingham and finish up the details of today's meeting. If you have any questions or are not sure, you can invite them to Collinwood and we can finish there. I want Maggie to rest, oh and a Detective from the police department wished to speak with her. You might let her know."

Roger walked to his bedroom, entered and sat on the edge of the bed. Reaching for the bedside phone he dialed for the long distance operator. "What City please." The voice was somewhat nasally with a broad northern accent.

"Collinsport Maine, number ME 314 09900, please, reverse charges person to person Roger Collins for Elizabeth Stoddard." Roger fiddled with his tie waiting for the operator to connect him with Liz.

"Hello Roger?" Elizabeth's voice came over the phone she had a strained tired sound to her voice.

"Liz? What is going on?" Roger was immediately sensitive to his sister's mood and her demeanor.

"The electrician died in the ballroom today, he electrocuted himself." Her voice had reason to be strained.

"Oh dear lord, what next?" He muttered softly. "Are you all right? Should you call Trask and see to the possible insurance claims or suits?"

" I found him Roger, what do you think, I am upset Harlan was a dear gentle giant of a man and he is dead because he touched live wires in the ballroom. I swear I should have never opened that room up with all the problems we are having. Gregory has been by and he is coming tomorrow to handle anything else that needs to be addressed."

He could tell she was stressed and he wished he had been there for her. "Well my dear we will be home in three more days, but unfortunately we have had our own bit of bad luck here."

"David? Is David all right Roger?" Liz's voice had gone up an octave she waited to hear his news.

"David is fine Liz, he got some bruises but for the most part he was the hero in this situation. Apparently Maggie was the victim of a mugging. Maggie got the worse of it by some ruffians that tried to steal her purse in the park."

"Oh dear lord, is she going to be all right?" Her voice had relaxed with her stress when she heard he only received mild bruising. Then hearing about poor Maggie, Liz's stomach sank to the pit of her stomach.

"She is very sore and is feeling the beating she took, we have a New York City Detective coming to question her shortly so I wanted to check in with you and let you know what was going on and see how things were at home."

"We have another nor'easter coming in, we have most the power still working in the house. Vicki, Barnabas, Daphne, and Quentin went out for the night and Julia and Eric just got home. Carolyn will be staying in Portland tonight she went with Trask to entertain some clients."

"Well Liz, you might see if Eric can go check the green house and make sure the windows are all secured if we get too much wind we don't need to have all that glass flying about if it breaks."

After hanging up, Roger glanced up as David knocked on his door. "Father? The New York Detective is here." Roger stood and stepped to open his door, continuing into the common room he noted three men dressed in trench coats, one large man with a bald head and sucking on a lollipop stood in the center of the room flanked on each side by two more men that were more non descript.

Roger walked over with a smile and an extended hand. "Detective Kojak?" He felt a strong grip from Kojak when he took his hand and shook.

"Mr. Collins I presume?" He released his hand with a smile, "I am sorry that you had to be a part of this recent increase in crime for our fair city. Would Miss Evans be available? We have some pictures we would like her to take a look at and see if she can identify anyone in them."

The door to Maggie's room opened she stepped through Kojak noted she moved slowly towards the three detectives. "Hello?" The men were enchanted by the appearance of the lovely young woman looking fresh from her shower. Her face denude of makeup could not hide or deny the fact she was a beautiful woman and they were immediately aware of why she had been targeted, the red hair.

The tall bald detective smiled charmingly, "Miss Evans?" He took his hat and laid it on the chair by the entry door.

"Yes, I am Margaret Evans. May I help you?" She tightened her robe's sash tighter only making her waist look smaller and her curves appealing to the discerning eye.

"I am Detective Theo Kojak ma'am, I have some pictures I would like for you to look at and see if you can identify any of the men that assaulted you and the young man earlier?"

The man that stood to the left of Kojak stepped forward to the coffee table and laid out a series of pictures on the table. David and Maggie turned to the table and looked.

David took two pictures from the pile and laid them aside while Maggie took two more pictures. "I remember these two." She laid them with the two David had selected.

David pointed to one of the pictures. "I bit him, he will have a big bite mark on his right thigh." He smiled proudly handing his two picks to the men.

Kojak laughed, "Good way to identify him, thank you both, if we go to trial on this would you be able to come back to testify?" He studied them waiting for an answer.

"I will make sure they are here if you need them Detective." Roger said with a set of his shoulders and affirmation in his voice.

Maggie stood and gasped the pain from her injuries shot through her body. Kojak waved to his partner on the left who stepped forward and with a look of concern studied her. "Do you need to go to the hospital for that?" His voice was soft and she found him to be very attractive and was grateful that he supported her and held her gently by the arm.

Maggie shook her head. "No, I am just sore, they punched pretty hard. I just don't know what I did to warrant this harsh treatment over a purse." She said softly her eyes fluttering for a moment as a wave of nausea and dizziness washed over her.

"Saperstein, bring her, we are going to take her to the hospital." Kojak turned and smiled. "We will get her checked out and bring her back Mr. Collins, I want to thank you all for your help in this and I promise you we will get these boys off the street."

Joe exited the bedroom he had shared with David and paused, "What is gong on?" He watched noting Saperstein had lifted Maggie and was carrying her to the door.

"Joe, they are taking her to the hospital, I fear her injuries are more severe than we thought." Roger tried to calm the now anxious Joe Haskell.

Joe started forward and then paused, "What hospital? Should I follow in a cab?" He was concerned and did not wish to let her out of his sight.

Theo Kojak turned to his partners, "Go on and take her, I will follow with Mr. Haskell."

Joe watched them disappeared out of the room with Maggie. Then turned to Kojak, "She was targeted wasn't she?" He said it straight out, he had been reading about the number of attacks on young women with red hair in the paper and now his concern was growing more to end their business in New York and get home before someone else was hurt.

"Yes, we have a gang of thugs that is going around targeting red haired women. Unfortunately for your friend she was in the wrong place at the right time today, but I promise you I will find out who did this and make them pay."

Collinwood

Eric moved to the bedroom he shared with Julia and lay across the bed waiting for her to get done with her bath. Rolling onto his back he watched the ceiling as he thought about his next phase of curing Barnabas. Closing his eyes he thought about the newest acquisition the body would be carefully preserved.

The door opened and he could smell her soap and knew she was moving to sit next to him on the bed. "Hello my love, nice hot bath?" He rolled onto his side and looked at her profile as she rubbed her lotion on her body.

Finishing her nightly absolutions she smiled, "it was a heavenly bath. I really needed it, my muscles were screaming for relief." She stretched out next to him, her fingers tracing the outline of his nose and face. "I love you Eric." Her words had been soft and filled with tenderness.

"I love you Julia." He leaned over to plant a passionate kiss on her lips, and then broke the kiss. "You tired my dear?" he smiled with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He was thinking about making love to her.

"I am never too tired for you my sweet." She undid her robe and let it fall from her shoulder; Eric pressed his hands to her shoulders drawing her down to him.

"Then lets see what we can find out about each other tonight." He pulled her beneath him pressing her into the bed.

They lay together under the sheets curled into each other the lovemaking had been passionate and furious and now they lay content in the afterglow of their lovemaking. "Julia, I got another body today, one I think I can use to help with the next phase of curing Barnabas."

He gently stroked the hair from her face. "Really? Was it the one that was found in the ballroom here?" She slid her chin up to peer at his profile.

"Yes, Harlan was his first name. The only thing is I need a different brain, the body is in good shape and perfect for taking the next step for Barnabas."

Julia had to think about this for a moment. "Do you think we are not doing the right thing with the serum?" She mused softly she let her own fingertips run through the thick chest hair.

"I think Barnabas had two near mistakes and is going to be growing impatient, from what I have observed he is having stronger feelings for Vicki and may want to soon take the next step where she is concerned and I know he does not want to harm her as he nearly did the last time."

Julia nodded, "I know. He was very upset when he nearly killed her the last time. But from what I understand his blood lust is under control."

Eric sighed, "Nearly under control, is not going to be good enough for him. He does not want to hurt her. I really can't blame him."

Julia smiled "I know, he wants a life, his life back and I can't blame him especially since he is getting so close to Vicki."

Eric turned to lie on his side gently drawing Julia's head to the pillow next to him. "I want to know that you are going to support me on the next phase Julia. It is a life changing step for all the parties concerned."

Julia laughed, "Eric, I will support you, I am just not so sure how well it will work and the equipment if it is up to par for how and when we will need to use it."

On that Eric had to agree. "Perhaps we need to readjust our equipment and get it up to par. I was thinking of taking a trip to Los Angeles and was wondering if you would like to fly out there with me to acquire a new piece of equipment that has been experimented with in another area very similar to what we are tying to do, only in cryogenics."

Julia was surprised, "Of course I would love to join you and see how this particular piece of equipment would benefit us in what use we might have for it."

Eric laughed, "Oh my wonderful Julia it's a part of a machine and it will help with the transference of the life force to give new life to the body thereby reanimating it to life."

Julia yawned, 'Then I suppose we make our plans tomorrow and maybe we can fly out by weeks end?"

Eric kissed her good night and fell asleep almost immediately. However for Julia it was a long thought filled night as she considered where her life was taking her and what this man would bring to her life that would benefit it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Collinwood Vicki's room

With darkness spreading it's deceptive blanket of calm over the land, Vicki stood before her dresser looking at her image and frowned. Tonight would be a good night to just stay in and go to bed early with a book. But she had promised Barnabas that she would like to visit with him in his home. Picking up her brush, she thought about brushing her hair, looking at her image, she saw she really did not need to brush it; her hair was already neat and orderly. Putting the brush down she glanced down at the ring on her finger and sighed.

"Oh Josette, how I wish you were here now." She muttered softly, turned walking to the closet and took her sweater out. Laying it on the bed, she reached for her comfortable shoes and slipped them on, putting her other shoes in the cabinet that was her closet. Facing the door she walked towards it pausing and for a moment felt the room shift and spin, backing up she sat heavily on the edge of the bed. Cradling her head with her fingers she waited for the feeling to pass. '_What is going on with me?" _

Her thoughts were conflicted while she tried to clear her vision and get her balance back. Shaking her head she sighed deeply. Something was at play here and it had nothing to do with her or Barnabas, something was playing with her mind and her health. Feeling frightened she stood, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Feeling a little stronger she stood continued to the door stepping to the hallway, where she found Mrs. Stoddard giving some instructions to Mrs. Johnson. "I know you are busy Mrs. Johnson but this would not take much time and won't interfere with your other duties, I have already made the bed up and all you need to do is follow the diet the doctor sends."

Looking at Vicki's approach Elizabeth smiled then her smile froze as she saw how pale she looked. "Vicki darling are you unwell?" She laid a hand of comfort on her shoulder.

Vicki forced a smile to her lips and shook her head. "No, no, I am fine, what is going on?" She looked at the sour faced Sarah Johnson then directed her attention towards her employer.

"Roger called last night, it seems that David and Maggie were attacked in Central Park. Maggie was injured more than she realized and she is on bed rest, so we agreed that she should stay here while recuperating. I have a room ready to put her in, but we needed a special diet, apparently she suffered four cracked ribs and she did not realize it, when she went out for dinner after returning. That is when it was discovered one of her ribs had punctured her lung."

Vicki was shocked, "And David? Was he injured?" Vicki chewed her bottom lip waiting for the report on David.

"David is the hero of this escapade it seems that when they attacked Maggie, he went after them and fought them, they knocked him down but did nothing more than cause a few scratches and bruises. According to the police they were able to identify one of the assailants by some bite marks David left on the man."

Vicki was astonished, "Oh my goodness. Well if you need me to help or you Mrs. Johnson, I would be happy to help." She offered a reassuring smile to the dour Mrs. Johnson.

"It is just one more thing for me to add to the numerous duties I have already but I will manage, thank you Vicki for your offer and Mrs. Stoddard I will be happy to cook whatever Miss Evans may need, will she be attended by that Daphne girl?"

Liz smiled, "Thank you Mrs. Johnson and yes, I have made arrangements for Daphne to help with her care once she is home with Roger and David. I believe Roger was going to try and hire a private plane and bring them home tonight, I had planned to go to the airport to pick them up."

"Oh, do you need me to go with you? I was just going to spend the evening with Barnabas, but if you need me I am sure he would understand." Vicki had used her hands when expressing her desire to help and Liz saw the glint of the ring on her right hand.

Reaching out to take the hand she smiled looking down at the ring. "I see he gave you Josette's ring." Her words were tinged with pride. "Congratulations Vicki, I know its just a promise ring but it means a lot to him and to us your new family that he wishes to pursue his interests in you."

Vicki noted that Mrs. Stoddard was beginning to choke up when she looked at the ring. "Do you mind? I know it's a family heirloom and well I would not like to accept it if you were to feel it was not appropriate."

Liz studied the girl and she wanted so much to tell her how much she loved her and was happy that she would be a Collins someday. She wanted to throw her arms around her and shout to those that would listen, '_This is my daughter! My first born and she belongs here and she is a Collins!' _ Instead she smiled held onto her New England breeding and shook her head. "No dear I am honored he decided to give it to you, you are family a part of our family and it is right that you should wear something that meant so much to him and another important member of this family Josette Collins. Now you run along and have a very nice evening and when you come home, you might want to check in on Maggie."

Vicki hugged Mrs. Stoddard and stepped past her and Mrs. Johnson. Head bent and feeling relieved that Mrs. Stoddard did not mind she had another family heirloom. When she got to the top of the stairs another over whelming feeling of dizziness and nausea hit her sitting down hard on the top step she put her fingertips to the bridge of her nose. Then she lowered her head to her arms to cradle her head with her hands and waited for the feeling to pass. This was beginning to annoy and frightened her.

Getting her bearings she stood and slowly walked down the stairs. To the door and stopped, then she heard it, a soft calling from the distance a voice that seemed to fill the very air around her and it was calling her name. "_Victoria! Victoria come to me Victoria, I need you, you must hurry, come to me Victoria._" Opening the door to a blast of wind, that enveloped her body, Vicki felt herself swept up in the icy cold and her body was thrust forward to the now black night that held for one thing an unknown danger that was now trying to pull her towards it.

Closing her eyes she shook her head and spoke harshly to the wind. "NO!" Stepping to the front lawn she began to walk at a brisk fast pace towards the path that would take her to the old house and to Barnabas. The wind seemed to direct her and howl in rage at her resistance while she internally struggled against that voice and the need to follow the wind. Briskly trudging along the pathway she found she could no longer contain her desire to run hard and fast away from the voice and the wind that beckoned her on.

Old House

Barnabas stood by the bay windows of the drawing room watching the front lawn and the path that broke through the wood line. He waited expectantly knowing she was on her way he could feel her, smell her and then he paused. The scent had changed, she was afraid. He could smell her fear it was almost palatable. Without hesitation he walked to the door throwing it open he shifted into mist form and floated into the night to follow the smell of her and the feel of her. He saw her below she was running as hard as she could and from behind he saw something feral and dangerous following behind her. Shifting into bat form he dove down to the image of a man, dressed in black with red penetrating eyes. Demonic eyes that caught and held his image.

The being saw the bat divig towards him, he threw his cloak over his head and was gone from sight. Barnabas swooped down to where he had last seen this figure and found it was no longer there. It was gone. Redirecting his bat like body, he flew over head watching Vicki below, pacing her until she got to the wood line and the front lawn of his home. Flying through the air faster than her eye could perceive he reappeared in the drawing room and reformed to human form. Rushing to the door he waited anxiously watching her approach. She ran then would look over her shoulders to see if she was being pursued.

She made the top of the stairs she ran full force into his arms and held onto him, her breath ragged and her voice quivering, she gasped, "Someone in the woods following me!" She clung to him; allowing him to lead her into the house and close the door. "Come my dear sit by the fire and warm yourself, and allow Willie and myself to go and see if we can find this person."

"No! Don't leave me alone! I . . . I don't want to be alone!" She clung to him he held her and he could feel how terribly upset she had become. Her body shivered.

"I won't be but a moment, I will have Willie sit with you, while I go check." Turning from seatting her in the fireside chair he took a couple of steps towards the stairs. "Willie!" Barnabas called up the stairs and waited for the boy to come down.

"Yes Barnabas." Willie skipped expectently down the stairs wearing his apron and it was apparent he had been working upstairs. He glanced around looking concerned he could see how pale and scared Vicki looked and his immediate thoughts were he tried to attack her.

"_No Willie I did not attack or try to attack her, she was chased here by someone in the woods. I want you to sit with her while I go make sure he is gone."_

Willie had heard him in his mind something he was getting used to and was not minding at this point. Willie shook his head acquiescing to Barnabas' request. Stepping past Barnabas; Willie sat next to Vicki. "Hi Vicki, do you need anything to drink?" He looked up hearing the door close knowing that Barnabas had left the house.

"No thank you Willie, I just was frightened by something in the woods, it seemed to be chasing me." She hugged her arms close to her body she watched the front door anxiously.

"You cold you want I should get you a blanket?" He stood and walked towards the hall cupboard. Willie came back with a soft blanket and covered Vicki.

Vicki smiled tensely, "Thank you Willie, this feels so much better, the wind was so cold and fierce and then there was the voice trying to call to me to come to it and I just got afraid!"

"You say a voice calling to you? You saw someone chasing you? Next time, call me Vicki, I will drive over and pick you up so you don't have to walk through those spooky woods at night. I never felt good about you doing that and now I am convinced you don't need to be coming through the woods any more until we find out what is going on?"

Woods between the Old House and Collinwood

Barnabas had shifted to bat form again and began to do a criss cross of the area, his keen eyesight looking below for the figure he had seen earlier. The air around the thing had been putrid and smelled of death and if he had not known better it reminded him of something he had seen a long time ago, on Martinique.

The old islanders had called it a Harbinger of Death, they appeared when death was about to claim the soul and take it to hell. He could not be sure that was what it was he saw but he was not going back to the house until he knew it was gone.

Making one more pass over the woods, he saw nothing and turned to returned to the old house. Flying to the front stoop he shifted into human form. Turning to look over the area one more time seeing all was right and he felt comfortable to return to the drawing room and noted how pale Vicki had grown. "Did you find anything?"

Willie along with Vicki stood when Barnabas entered the room, her eyes wide and filled with fear and concern awaiting his answer to Willie's question. "Nothing was there. It was long gone by the time I got out there. My dear sit and cover up you look pale as death." He held her close to his body and guided her gently to the chair.

Old House Naomi's sitting room.

Willie glanced around the room and quietly let them to their moment. Walking back up the stairs to Naomi's sitting room, where he had been working earlier. He had felt concern for Vicki looking as pale and afraid. He hoped that Barnabas could calm her down and then he thought about Beth and it brought a smile to his lips. He was beginning to have feelings for the girl. He knew how he would feel if someone had scared her he would want to beat the living crap out of the guy.

Turning back to look over the room he felt pretty proud of what he had done so far to this room, The paint was close to what it had been, the wall paper was an exact duplicate, and now he was putting up the bead board and it was coming together really well. He almost felt that Naomi could come into the room and feel she was at home. At the back of his mind he could not get past the thought that there was something off about this whole night and it all began with the appearance of Vicki.

Old House Drawing Room.

Vicki held to Barnabas laying her head against his shoulder. " I have to confess something." She spoke softly she hung onto him for dear life. "I was getting ready for our date, and I got dizzy and felt ill, it passed. I thought it was possibly the addiction nagging at me. It almost felt like withdrawals from the drug. Then when I got ready to leave Collinwood." She swallowed hard closed her eyes and let her head rest against his shoulder, "I heard a voice calling in the wind, it was wanting me to come to it. I fought the voice, and I began to run to the old house, that is when I stopped at one point and looked and there was this huge dark figure wearing black and it seemed to be chasing me."

She felt his arms tightened around her for security. "I am here my dear, you have nothing to fear now. I shall protect you always." His voice had been so soft and reassuring and it calmed her immediately to have such reassurances. Finally she relaxed in his hold and allowed him to lead her back to her chair, where he covered her again, smiling he turned to the liquor cabinet and pulled out the sherry bottle and poured her a small glass of sherry. "Now drink this and allow it to warm you."

Vicki curled her slender fingers around the stem of the glass. Smiling her appreciation she sipped the sweet liquor, setting the glass on the fireside table. "Now, my dear what would you like to do tonight?" He pulled his chair around and sat across from her watching her for any signs of feeling unease or ill.

"I think I would like to spend this night playing cards and talking with you about us." Her voice was so soft that he had to tilt his head to make sure he heard everything she had said.

"You wish to talk about us? I will tell you whatever you want to know about me and you must in turn tell me what you can about yourself." His smile was reassuring and his manner had become formal.

"No Barnabas, I want to talk about us, where you think our relationship is going and how you feel about me." She sighed pulling the blanket closer, slid back in the chair and studied him from under the fall of her heavy eyelashes.

Barnabas smiled, "My dearest Victoria, what is there to say. I am a man that has fallen hopelessly and forever in love with one of the most beautiful women I have the pleasure to meet. I find that you are the very epitome of what I want in a wife and mother of my children."

He had to pause a moment after saying the mother of his children, that was contingent on whether or not Julia and Eric were able to cure him of his curse without killing him. "I expect nothing but what ever you are willing to give me."

Vicki was touched by the words were so special to her and she had to pause to think about her next question. "Barnabas you said you were fond of me, and now you say you love me. A woman wants to know she is loved for who she is and not what she represents to the man. For me, I need a man to love me, not what I will be for that man other than the woman he loves."

Her words hit him hard, in the beginning he wanted her to be another he had loved, he wanted her to be Josette. He stood paced to the window and looked out to the front lawn. "Victoria, I want you to know that what I feel is for you, not another or an image of another. My feelings are so strong that I go to sleep thinking of you and awaken thinking of you. I find my days filled with when I shall see you again, how may I please you, how may I protect you and how will I live without you."

He turned walked to her and knelt in front of her and took her hand in his. "I think of the times we first met, how your name was so beautiful that you allowed them to take the very syllables that made you that beautiful away." He watched her blush and smiled, "Shall I tell you what it is about you that makes me want you as my wife and why I love you for you?"

Vicki felt her heart skip a beat, he was saying far more than even Burke had admitted to her about their relationship. This man was confessing why he was in love with her. She nodded not trusting her voice.

Taking her fingers in his hand, he studied the slender delicate looking fingers that denoted her as a musician or artist. "I met you and was drawn to you. You reminded me of someone I had lost a long time ago, in England. She like you had such tender qualities that took my breath away. Her laughter was like the sunlight of my day and her kisses were the passion of my nights. I loved her with all my heart. Then she died." He let his hand gently slide over her hand he thought about why he had come to this point in his life and why she was the one that was an important part of his life. "In her, I saw beauty where there was ugly, in her I saw love where there was hate, and in her, I saw my life only being complete if she belonged to me forever."

He took a breath and let it out slowly, a practice he had perfected since he did not need to breathe but give the appearance he was alive. "As death claimed her, my life was over, I died the day she died, and felt that I would never find love again or be able to love, then you were there. It was you who showed me how bright and articulate you were. It was you who showed me how to appreciate life for more than just living. There was you Victoria; you who would rather give up your life to save another, you whose laughter filled my heart with warmth that it had not felt in a long time." He smiled and watched the color of her eyes change with her emotions.

"I will admit in the beginning I did hope to make you over into the image of what I had once and knew I could love, at that time I was not sure I could love again. Then I found there was nothing about you that I would change. I found that when I tried to recall what it was about Jo. . . Josephine that I so loved." He had to stop before he said Josette and subsisted the name Josephine as a cover.

"The problem I found was that for everything I thought I loved about Josephine, it was Victoria's qualities and traits that had replaced those thoughts and images in my mind and slowly, god forgive me, slowly, what I had cherished so in Josephine was now Victoria. The one thing I see when I look in your eyes my dearest Victoria is; I see our children in your eyes. I never saw children in Josephine's eyes."

Vicki was stunned, she had not even considered such a thought but she had her answer she knew beyond a doubt he loved her, he loved her and not an image of who she might be. She leaned forward, closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his lips. "Thank you." she had whispered against his lips before he demanded a deeper kiss.

Barnabas pressed his lips to hers and returned the kiss with passion. Breaking the kiss he smiled, "Now, my turn my dear. I want to know how you feel about what I just told you."

Vicki sighed and looked down at their hands entwined together. "I have to confess Barnabas, I am scared to death. I thought I had found love with Burke, it had been a complicated and difficult relationship in the beginning, he had come to destroy the Collins Family and I simply could not allow him to do that."

She took a deep breath she was exploring feelings she had long denied and needed to purge. "I met you and there is not one moment that I cannot recall that when we were together that I was fascinated by you and your knowledge of the past. I wanted to live there, that is how much I loved the past and then I went there. I do not know how but I did and it really messed with my mind. I know that Reverend Trask wanted me; he would give up trying to prosecute me as a witch if I would just be his mistress. I refused, and I escaped him and when I came back, my world had changed."

She sighed deeply looked down feeling their hands and the tenderness with which he held her hand. She smiled looked up into his intense gaze she could see he was interested in what she had to say. "Then there was you. You Barnabas, who always treated me fairly and believed in me, you who were the kindest person I had ever met and only had my well being at heart. I found that there was a part of me that wanted to give my whole heart to you. Then there was this feeling a nagging feeling that there was something that you were not telling me and that you were trying to make me over into an image of what you expected me to be."

Barnabas did not falter his look; he continued to hold her gaze and let her speak. "I wanted to be everything to you. But I also wanted to be loved for me. Then when we began to grow closer, I needed a friend and you were there for me as a friend. Then I needed more, and I felt some reticent from you. That I was not exactly what you had hoped I would be and I suppose that was my insecurities coming out."

She felt his fingers press against hers and waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. "You see, I had this conversation with Carolyn, and she reminded me of something. She likes being a girlfriend to Gregory Trask, because he considers her a trophy girlfriend and perhaps some day a trophy wife."

Barnabas did not understand this concept of a trophy wife. Realizing that in England they did not have trophy wives she smiled, "It means that if the wife can be the envy of the man to get him ahead in the world and to look good on his arm makes her a trophy wife. For me that kind of type would be degrading. I would never want to be a prize for some man to show off to his friends. I would want to be a wife and his partner."

Barnabas smiled, "For me you would be my partner and my wife not a prize, though in my heart, the prize I would seek would be your love and your heart." His words were said with such tenderness that it left no doubt he was being sincere.

"I want you to know Barnabas, there is a part of me that is scared to let go of being me, and to embrace sharing my life with another so readily. But there is also apart of me that wants to be loved and appreciated for being Vicki Winters and not another image or a prize, do you understand?"

He nodded and smiled, "My dearest Victoria, you are loved for being you. There is not one thing about you I would want to change. I would like to help you grow and learn with me but never change you from who you are and what you represent. And that is a woman filled with love and passion that wants to share it as a part of her life with the man she loves. I accept you from the top of her head to the end of your toes for who you are."

He watched the tears formed then her batting lashes flicked them to her cheek, where he took his index finger and captured the tear. "From you, I see diamonds in those tears and each are as precious to me as the woman that made them."

Feeling her nerves finally settling and her mind clearing she smiled, "Then kiss me Barnabas Collins, kiss me and hold me." Her words were so soft that they affected him to the point he gathered her close and pressed into her to kiss her deeply. He knew then she was in love with him; she just needed to realize it.

Kissing her passionately he broke the kiss and smiled into her eyes. "Now then my dear what shall we do for the rest of the evening?"

Vicki laughed, "I think I like what we were doing was just fine. Shall we continue?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Eric Lang had been a man far ahead of his time. He sat in his office looking over the ancient diary that he had just happened upon in many of his long journeys around the world. The volume was old, it looked old and the mites had been busy aging the book to brittle pages, so with cotton gloved hands he carefully turned the pages. Sitting back he took his glasses off and chewed on the earpiece as he thought about what he finished reading, for a book that had been written in the mid eighteen hundreds it was remarkable with the theories and precision of those theories. Folding his arms he looked at the ceiling lost in thought.

Julia had poked her head into his office. She had just come from the basement of his home and saw the newest acquisition and had prepared the body for preservation. Now she watched the man she had come to love, appearing to be lost in thought.

"Eric?" Her voice was gentle she wanted to avoid startling him when she entered and approached him from the hallway. He had not heard her. "Eric?" She moved to his side and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

He jumped and jerked then blinked realizing it was Julia, a woman who surpassed him in so many ways with her brilliance and keen observations. He had loved her from the moment he met her in college at that time he had discovered she was not in the mood for love or for distraction such a messy emotion would cause. She like him was driven by her passions for her theories and hypothesis.

He knew she faced insurmountable odds against many male's slanted point of view of a woman daring to challenge them in their filed of endeavor and to top it off her ideas were so fantastic that most her contemporaries thought they bordered on science fiction. They had been merciless with their taunts and backhanded compliments even telling her she should possibly change fields and be a sci-fi writer.

Julia had ignored them and continued to strive to better her male counterparts. Eric was one of the few that had readily accepted her and her ideas and late one night while preparing for a dissertation on the human brain, she had sat across from him in the Shanty Town Pub, drinking her rose' and speaking her mind about her thoughts on a destructive cell in the blood stream. She had even hypothesis what if there were such things as Vampires and what would be the catalyst that would cause them to have this disease. She even theorized that somewhere someone did exist with the problem and one day she would prove it was the white cell that had been attacked and carried an ever-demanding parasite.

Eric had become enchanted with her ideas and with her, those huge blue eyes that peered so earnestly in her slightly drunken state that had loosen that tongue to a point he was able to make notes and try to synthesized a serum that would attack such a cell, the problem was it had to be done on theory, he had no real test subject. Then he came on the scene and suddenly there was more than just one of them, there had been two. He was totally prepared to use the serum on them both, and he was prepared to try and transfer a negative cursed life force into a pure body. His thoughts were to allow that force be absorbed and diluted to a more simple form thus curing the curse through science and not hocus-pocus.

Smiling he reached up to grab his fiancés hand and drew it to his lips to kiss it. They were cold she must have been in the basement. "Well what do you think my love?" He whispered against her cold hand he studied the look on her face.

She felt the breath warming her cold fingers and she smiled. "I think it will be fine once you find a donor brain. That brain was fried completely and noting was left of the brain cells that could amount to anything."

She had been practical and to the point. "I know, it was a shame, I would have loved to try and bring him back with his full memories. However he pretty well took care of his physical part of his being and the higher brain functions were the first to go." He tugged her down on his lap and smiled into her eyes. "I want you to know how much you mean to me my sweet Julia. How much your love gives me inspiration and how much I depend on your thoughts and your views."

She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. For most of her life she did not trust men and had resented them to the point she never thought she would ever find anyone to love or be loved in return. Most of her life she had face the adversity of those barbed comments and her thoughts and ideas being relegated to the back burner as nothing more than good pulp for a science fiction book. Now she sat on the lap of the one man that had never made fun of her or tried to ridicule her or poke holes in her ideas for curing rare blood diseases. This man had been born to be her second half and he made her feel important and special.

"Your thoughts are equally as important to me too Eric. I thought I would never find anyone to love and then there was you. It seems there was always you. That is why I don't agree with what you are doing, I will support you."

Eric sighed deeply, "Are you packed? I think we need to leave here by noon to be at the airport on time." Julia pushed from his lap. She tugged on her jacket coat nodding.

"I packed this morning and I had your bags brought down by Johnson, they are in the hallway, and I ordered a cab for us for noon."

"You are amazing, well my dear shall we go find Beth? I am sure she had a light lunch ready for us." Julia looked at her watch and then nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. "

Elizabeth met the party at the door. Joe had carried Maggie into the house and gently placed her in the bed, Elizabeth had prepared for her. David in his usual exuberance had ran in thrown himself into his Aunt's arms. "Aunt Elizabeth! I am a hero! I saved Maggie from death!" He held tightly to his Aunt's waist.

"I know darling and I am so proud of you! Joe, take her up the stairs and to the right down the long hallway. Mrs. Johnson will show you the room, once you get in the hallway. "

"Maggie I hope you will be comfortable and I had a house phone installed by your bed so if you need anything just press two and it will ring down here and we can make sure you are comfortable. Daphne will be up to check on you, she is on the phone with your doctor from New York and he is giving her instructions on your care."

Maggie smiled tightly the journey in Joe's careful arms was beginning to press against her injured ribs and her now horrendously sore lung. "Thank you Mrs. Stoddard. I will try not to be a burden to you or your family."

David let his aunt go and turned to watch Joe carry Maggie upstairs. "She really is in a lot of pain, when Joe comes down Aunt Elizabeth, may I go up to check on her, she really was brave."

Liz was shocked at the concern and compassion David showed for his temporary governess and now he wanted to be her caregiver. Elizabeth was all for encouraging this side of David. "Of course but only if she is up for the company."

"Aunt Elizabeth, I promise all I will do is sit and watch her and if she needs anything she can ask me and I will get it for her. Oh and I got you, Carolyn, Vicki and Maggie presents from New York, Father took me shopping at Bloomingdales and Macy's and I got everyone gifts!"

His thoughts were jumping all over the place and appeared to be in a chaotic motion. He paused and frowned, "Something has changed? What happened while we were gone?" He looked around as the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

Roger was growing impatient with the boy and sighed deeply crossing his arms in his typical annoyed fashion. "Before you go to sit with Maggie, David I want you to go up, change and wash up. We have been on a plane or an airport most the morning."

David looked down, his sixth sense was kicking in and he could feel the air around him was unsettled and he could tell there was another ghost haunting Collinwood. Turning with no argument to his father, David spoke softly, "Yes Father."

Moving to the stairs he paused, "Oh what room did Maggie get?" He peered down to his aunt.

"I put her in the green one, down the right hallway." She watched him move up the stairs and noted he was limping a little. "Roger are you sure he is not injured, I thought I saw him limping." Liz was showing her motherly concern watching him disappear into the hallway and from sight.

"He has a bad bruise on his left leg Elizabeth. Otherwise he is fine. I had him checked out by the hospital medical professional and he saw nothing more than a few scratches and bruises. Maggie is the one that seemed to be targeted by a gang of thugs that were bent upon stealing her purse and hurting her simply because she had red hair." Roger moved into the drawing room and made a beeline for the alcohol bar, pouring himself a stiff drink. Liz followed him into the drawing room.

"A little early for that isn't it Roger?" She had not liked how much he seemed to be depending more and more on a stiff drink to get him going and keep him going through the day.

"Oh now Liz this is my first one since I got home. I needed it, the weather was bumpy and frankly I have been a nervous wreck since Maggie was injured. The poor girl was miserable on the flight home."

Liz sat down on one of the wing back chairs studying her brother carefully. "You tried to find her didn't you?" Liz's perception was spot on when she saw his reaction.

"Yes, I tried to find her and no luck." He moved to sit and stare into the fire. "I just wish I knew what happened. I was so sure we were perfect for each other and then to have her just up and disappear. Have you seen Nicholas around?" He tipped his drink up and swallowed.

"No, he has not been around for a few weeks, but then I thought he said he was going back to Boston for a month and really had not expected to see him." Liz felt the pain her brother was suffering over being jilted the night before his wedding by the woman he had fallen hopelessly in love with those few weeks ago. She had not approved at first but found that Cassandra had been charming and appeared to genuinely love her brother. So for his sake she was prepared to accept her into the family. "Well what about Wellington? Will he be one of our distributors and how did Joe do in the negotiations?"

It was back to business for Liz and she wanted all the details before she took her next step to secure Joe in a manager's position and expand the distribution of their seafood products. For Liz mundane was good and it was important to keep her grounded. She sat and listened quietly to what Roger had to report and was pleased and knew her next moves would secure the future of the Collins Family for many years to come.

David moved towards his room then paused, Vicki's door was open and he saw a shadow over the doorway. Moving down the hallway he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes going wide he looked into the room, there was a dark figure dressed in black, he moved like a wraith around the room, touching things that belonged to Vicki. "Who are you and what are you doing in here?" He was now the empowered young hero of New York standing to confront something he knew to be supernatural. The figure turned and with eyeless sockets that glowed red he looked right through David.

"Where is she? Where is the one that wreaks of the undead and times that have past?" The figure advanced on David its intent to touch him, when a gust of wind and two figures appeared in front of David.

"Leave now or face our wrath!" Josette made her demand to this being that threatened one of her own. With rightful indignation Josette with eyes that flashed with anger stood her ground in front of David with Sarah at he side.

Sarah stepped forward looking at the shell of what had been a man at one time and now had turned to the wraith it was now. "Why are you here? You do not belong here, you are lost and you need to go. You need to return to the path that is the past."

The two Collins ghost stood protectively in front of David facing the darkness that had been a man at one time. "She must return again, she has not completed what she was sent to do. She has to set straight the time or this time will fail and all will die."

Josette lifted her hand, "Then take me with you I shall do what is needed, Victoria must not go any where or she will not return to this time or her loved ones."

The wraith shook his head. "it is already done, she must return, I will return for her, you should prepare her." The figure shifted and disappeared from view leaving the room with the chill of death and the stench of decay. David began to choke on the smell backing away he turned and moved quickly down the hallway. "I got to find Vicki and warn her!"

Running as fast as he could, David hit the upstairs landing just as Vicki moved into the foyer from her walk on the beach. "David!" she smiled seeing his figure on the stairs. Those feelings soon turned to concern when he plowed into her and held onto her tightly.

"You gotta go! That thing wants to take you away from us!" Vicki held onto his trembling form looking up when Liz along with Roger moved into the hallway after hearing David's hysterical rantings..

"David! What is wrong with you?" Elizabeth moved to her nephew seeing how upset he had become.

"The ghost was in Vicki's room, it wanted to take her back with him, he says she had to go back to correct some wrongs she did not get it right when she went back the last time!"

Vicki felt her world tilt her head began to spin and she began to fall into a deep darkness that was unconsciousness. Roger rushed to catch her before she fell to the floor in a dead faint.

The surreal feeling of coming out of a state of unconsciousness filled her. Slowly her reality was being restored when she partially opened her eyes to allow the light from her room to penetrate the darkness that had been her refuge earlier. Awareness was upon her. Vicki could hear the concern of Elizabeth's voice. "Vicki darling open your eyes, please open your eyes."

"I think she is coming around Liz, lets step back and let Daphne help." Roger guided the distraught Elizabeth back allowing Daphne step in with an ammonia capsule in her hand. Breaking the capsule she waved it under Vicki's nose.

"Easy now Vicki, slowly, lets get you up." Vicki had felt her legs were elevated and her head was lowered, the smell made her choke. Moving her had instinctively to push the ampule away from her face she blinked a few times then held her gaze fixed to the ceiling.

"What happened?" She whispered softly while Daphne lifted her head and lowered her feet to the floor. Her head felt like it was full of cotton and there was a strange buzzing noise in her ears.

"You fainted. Are you feeling nauseous?" Daphne's voice was soft and filled with concern and professionally correct while she did her assessment.

"I feel odd." It was the only feeling she could adequately express sitting up slowly and looked around at the concerned faces that seemed to surround her in a semi circle. Then she remembered, David had been very upset and said a creature had come to take her back in time. An involuntary trembled filled her with the subtle return of her memories. The past, something from the past wanted her to go back to that time that had done nothing but present her with fear, anxiety and dread. "I can't go back!" she gasped softly huddling against the pillows that had acted as the elevation for her legs.

"You won't go back." Daphne spoke softly trying to be reassuring and compassion although she was also very confused. She had no earthly idea of what Vicki was speaking about going back but it seemed important to her to reassure her that she was safe.

Liz frowned deeply listening to this revelation that something was coming for her baby and wanted to take her away. Slipping from the drawing room, Liz moved down the hallway to the library to the desk phone. Dialing the operator she waited, "Yes, Professor Elliott Stokes of Portland I believe 099625. She waited while the connections were made and a familiar voice came on line.

"Stokes speaking." His voice was distracted and sounded as if he had been interrupted in the middle of something; he was mildly annoyed by the inconvenience of answering his phone.

"Professor Stokes, Elizabeth Stoddard here, I hope I am not interrupting anything?" She waited for confirmation to continue with the reason for her call.

"Oh my dear woman, for you I shall always be available, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" His voice immediately brightened he waited for an explanation for the reason the great lady of Collinwood would be calling him.

"I need you here Professor, its of vital importance that you come immediately. It appears we have a wraith that is threatening to take Vicki back in time again and we want to prevent it from happening."

The pause on the other end of the phone was pregnant while he digested her words, and then he spoke quickly. "I am on my way whatever you do, do not leave her alone and surround her with crystals."

Elizabeth hung up the phone then moved around the various rooms collecting crystal decanters, tear drops from the chandelier and other forms of crystal. Collecting the crystals she moved to the drawing room and began to arrange the crystals around Vicki in a circle.

Vicki sat bewildered watching Elizabeth set the various objects around her in the circle. "Now Professor Stokes says you are to say surrounded by Crystals until he can get here."

Vicki sat back and relaxed. As soon as Mrs. Stoddard had said Professor Stokes was on his way, she was calm. If anyone could solve this problem and keep her safe from being transported back in time, it would be the Professor. Daphne moved from the room to the hallway. Going to the phone she picked it up and dialed then waited. "Q's Place, Max speaking."

"Yes, Is Quentin Collins in by any chance? Would you tell him its Daphne Harridge from Collinwood." Daphne waited patiently when a familiar voice answered the phone.

"Quentin Collins speaking." Quentin had decided to take a day to go to Q's to go over the books and the plans the manager had been making on upgrades to the business. Having left around sunrise he was not expecting to hear from anyone from Collinwood when the call came in from Daphne.

"Oh thank god Quentin! You need to get back to Collinwood as quick as possible and if you can find Barnabas you need to find him and bring him. All hell broke loose and there is something gong on that has the whole family scared to death."

"Hold on Daphne slow down and take it from the beginning." His concern was etched across his features. Max watched his boss on the phone in regards to an obviously serious situation. He was obviously disappointed it appeared he was not going to stay to go over the renovations.

"Okay, from the beginning. I was helping Maggie get situated in her room, when David ran upstairs to tell me that Vicki had collapsed and was lying in the drawing room unconscious. I came downstairs to find her pale, cold and clammy to the touch and out, she had been out for almost three minutes. When she came too, she was babbling about not going back to the past. David was upset saying something had been in her room earlier and someone or something was threatening to take her back in time that she had not finished what was needed to be done."

Quentin was now tracking with her on what had happened and he needed to try and awaken Barnabas and they needed to be at Collinwood, until he heard the second part of what had upset Daphne. "Apparently, Mrs. Stoddard called Professor Stokes who is on his way here. He said she cannot be alone and that Mrs. Stoddard should surround her with crystals until he got here. Now the whole house seems to have gone mad with a crystal craze. Quentin I am frightened and I really think you need to come home. I also think you need to find Barnabas and bring him here. If Vicki is in danger, then he should know and be here to help."

"Daphne, I will be there in a half an hour, I need to make a stop first then I will see if I can find Barnabas and we will be there shortly." He hung up, offered his apologies to his manager and left the building. Driving to the nearby jewelry store he went in and took about five minutes to find what he needed. Paying for his purchase he was off to the old house. Trying not to break too many speed laws, Quentin pulled into the front newly blacked topped driveway of the old house and parked. Looking down at the package on the seat he scooped it up and moved towards the house.

Willie was at the door so quick Quentin had to wonder if he had been working in the foyer. "Is Barnabas up?" He looked around the room and then to Willie.

"He is in the library, he was about to head down to the cellar to rest for a while before this evening. He said you and Daphne were joining he and Vicki for dinner in Bangor?" Willie looked at the worried features of a man he had come to admire.

"You may wish to go down and fix that vat so he can soak himself in the zinc oxide. We have a situation at Collinwood and it involves Vicki and if it is as I suspect, she very well may be in danger."

Barnabas entered the foyer a look of concern written across his face. "What is this about Vicki being in danger." Quentin sighed looked around then nodded.

"You need to coat yourself in the zinc oxide, we are needed at Collinwood and we need to hurry from what I gather there is a time wraith that is expecting to take Vicki back in time with him again to correct something she missed the last time she was there."

Barnabas needed no other direction. Moving to the basement, he submerged himself into the tank and waited for his body to become saturated in the liquid zinc oxide. He would be damned before he allowed that thing he chased last night take what was his. He would send it back to hell if he were forced to do so to protect Vicki. Moving with haste he felt his suit as still slightly damp against his body when he exited the house wearing his hat and sunglasses and moved to Quentin's car.

"We will not allow this to happen Quentin, I am not sure how much her fragile mind can take what with everything she has been through so far." Barnabas' voice was set and thoughtful he watched the roadway turn to the driveway to Collinwood.

"Don't worry about this, I got part of it covered." He patted the package next to him. "When we get inside, you need to put that necklace around her neck and that ring on her other finger. It's the orb of protection, solid crystal and known for its supernatural properties. We will protect her at all costs until the Professor can get here."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Vicki sat perfectly still in the center of the make shift crystal palace that surrounded her. Pale, frightened and confused, she sat and waited for the Professor to arrive and explain what was going happen. Hearing the door she turned to peer into the foyer anxiously hoping it was the Professor. Quentin and Barnabas entered the foyer, paused, looked around then proceeded to the drawing room to stand with the others that had stepped back to wait and observe.

Vicki had a feeling of being on display and she was in a zoo appearing to be one of the attractions that was being observed. She tried to maintain her calm, it was growing weak by each passing minute that she was kept isolated from the others.

Barnabas breached the crystal surround her to stand in front of Vicki. "My dear, I have something that should protect you." Reaching into his pocket he pulled the package Quentin had passed to him earlier. Taking the teardrop crystal from the box, he clasped it around her neck, and then he removed the crystal and diamond ring from the box and slid it on her ring finger.

"What is the purpose of the crystal Barnabas? I am so confused and I need to know what is going on."

"it is all quiet easily explained my dear, crystals trap errant spirits and hold them and their powers from doing harm or teleporting others beyond their own dimension." Elliott had entered the room taking his time to look at what had been done to protect Vicki from the Wraith.

"Excellent, and I see Mr. Collins was able to obtain the protection crystal. You should be safe Vicki; you may safely exit the area that had been constructed for your protection. As long as you wear the necklace and the ring it should keep the entity from attempting to take you with it."

Elliott moved to the cupboard and stood looking at the excellent sherry he so enjoyed while in residence at Collinwood, but decided he needed a clear head to continue with what he had hoped to do before the night was over. Elizabeth moved to Elliott's side looking about pensively she said with a tone so soft he had to bend to hear her. "Will she be safe enough to move about the house without fear of disappearing into the past like she did once before?"

Elliott nodded. "Yes, she should be safe as long as she continues to wear the necklace and the ring that has been provided. The spirit will fear being trapped within the crystal and will not try to approach her."

Barnabas helped her around the assortment of crystals to stand free of the circle. "How do you propose to address this problem Professor?" Barnabas guided Vicki to Elizabeth's side then waited patiently for his response.

Elliott negotiated the area to avoid breaking any priceless crystal pieces that set on the floor. "I plan to have a séance and summon the spirit to find out exactly what has not been resolved that he feels still needs to be addressed."

All eyes turned to the Professor. "Do you really think that is the wise thing to do Elliott? Another séance would that not be tempting fate for Vicki?"

"Not as long as she wears the crystal necklace and ring. My suggestion will also take this séance one step further, I would like us all to be in period costume to see if this will affect the outcome of the séance and get a more forthcoming response from the wraith that seems to be determined to rob us of our dear Miss Winter's presence."

Barnabas frowned, "But the last time we did this, Victoria was ripped from the present and forced to live months in the past, how will this be different?"

Quentin began to help Elizabeth and Daphne remove the various crystal pieces that had been so lovingly and carefully placed in the room he absently listened to the Professor and his plan. Pausing for a moment he smiled, "I think this is a kind of reverse the roll on the wraith to present a look from the time frame he hopes to take Vicki and show him that nothing really needs to be changed."

The dawning of what the Professor had hoped to convey was beginning to come to light for Barnabas, "You plan to fool or dupe the spirit to make it think we are in the past already and so the need to remove someone from this time frame would not be necessary."

"Precisely my boy, that way the wraith that might be nothing more than a residual haunting that wants to recreate the incident that previously happened will believe he has already sent her back and leave her alone."

"A charade." Barnabas smiled, "it might work, if the wraith can be convinced, but I might offer this is not the place to hold such a séance, I might suggest we use the old house, it is more to the setting that you hope to convey Professor and it might do us well to use the ball room which has limited electricity and is still lit by candle light."

"Excellent idea, then shall we say tonight the old house around 10:00 p.m.? " Elliott smiled thinking about what he was going to attempt. The night did not disappoint with its velvet blackness that seemed to creep and soak everything with its cloying need to obliterate everything in its wake to take control over the grounds and the land that surrounded the two great houses. It moved like a living being across the ground to pool, pulsate with a breath and wait.

Vicki was feeling apprehensive she sat in the long elegant ball gown that had once belonged to Josette. She clutched her gloves in her hand anxiously watching the night and thought she could feel it out there waiting to take her back to that time and that place that had so terrified her.

Elizabeth had reached over with her own-gloved hand to take Vicki's hand in hers. Trying to give her a reassuring smile, Elizabeth was as apprehensive as Vicki. "No matter what happens tonight my darling Vicki, you will be safe, we have Professor's Stokes assurance along with those of Quentin and Barnabas. I shall do everything in my power to protect you too."

Vicki smiled tensely listening to Mrs. Stoddard try to reassure her and for a moment she was feeling loved and mothered, a feeling she had missed while growing up. She was also acutely aware that Carolyn had been noticeably absent during the past few days. She seemed to have directed her life to be around Gregory Trask and forget she had a family in Collinwood.

Arriving at the Old House, Quentin assisted the ladies up the stairs and into the foyer where Willie met them. This time Willie had dressed for his part in this charade that was about to be played out for a spirit that seemed determined to take Vicki back in time. Barnabas awaited them in the ballroom. He paced in his period clothing watching about anxiously his senses alert and his mind directed with what was about to happen. He was worried for Vicki's mental well being and general health. She had been through so much and if he could protect her from further torment he certainly was prepared to do just that.

The party moved into the ballroom, and began to seat themselves around the smaller dining room table that had been prepared for this meeting. "Now, we shall sit and we shall begin this new attempt to see how this wraith thinks he has the right to come and take. Shall we place our hands on the table and begin to clear our minds of everything but the current problem, a wraith, a spirit guide that seems to be searching and is lost and wants another to join them."

The group placed their hands palm down with fingers spread so that their small fingers touched each other in the circle that was forming. Elliott had placed a black candle and a white candle in the center of the table, and then seated himself. "We are here to call out to the one that seeks a lost soul they feel is needed for the past. We ask you to come to us now." Elliott's voice was low and demanding commanding the wraith to appear.

The night again decided to join with the eerie proceedings that were happening by rolling a low rumble of thunder across the land to vibrate the windows and the foundation of the house. A flash of lightening lit up the room with a startled gasp, Daphne saw the outline of the shrouded figure that stood outlined against the back drop of the French doors that lead to the side patio of the Old House. "Come to us." Elliott commanded again with more force. This time the room filled with a howling wind that blacked out the candles and the low keening moan began from Vicki her eyes fluttered shut and her body was no longer hers to control.

Elliott watched Vicki began to moan then she began to speak French. "Quel est cet endroit? Où suis-je? Qui êtes-vous? Éloignez-vous de moi! Laissez-moi tranquille! De de de de! Ce qui se passe! Aidez moi!" The lights went out a horrific scream erupted from Vicki and then silence.

Elizabeth's eyes were wide with confusion and fear, "What is she saying? I know Vicki does not speak French. What is she saying?"

Barnabas watched the woman he loved in the darkness that surrounded them. "I speak French and she is saying, What is this place, where am I , what is happening, no, no, no, to what is happening someone help me." He knew that voice was not Vicki's but had a familiar timber breaking the circle to the gasped protest from Elliott he rushed to the side of the screaming woman. His heart constricted and caught he felt at the back of his throat he frantically moved to find lights and put them on. 

Another voice joined the chaos when someone shouted, "Someone get the lights! Quickly!" Elliott had stood to go to Vicki's side along with Daphne. Vicki's figure was no longer sitting up right but appeared to be laying face down on the table.

When the lights came up, the group was stunned, but none more so than the man that lived in the old house. His gaze fell to the figure lying face down on the table and he paled. "JOSETTE!" He gasped when his gaze fell upon the very woman he had loved his entire life until he had met Vicki.

The group stood up to peer at the disoriented young woman that now sat up and looked around confused and scared. "Where is Vicki?" Daphne gasped softly looking around then back to the lovely young woman that was to one day become the first lady to Collinwood through her husband Jeremiah Collins.

The confused young woman stood knocking the chair over, twisting and searching around her and then demanded, "Where am I? What has happened, who are you people? Poppa? Where is my father?"

Barnabas was conflicted with his emotions watching the budding young beauty that would hold his heart for an eternity and be a part of his yesterdays. Stepping forward he smiled, "Josette do you not recognize your tutor?"

He smiled waiting for her to realize she was in his company. "Mr. Collins?" she asked surprised seeing him there. "Why are you in Martinique, Poppa said you were going home to Collinsport. That you and your Uncle would be receiving me in a year?"

Oh how those days rolled back into his memory. He had remembered his father sending him to the DuPres Plantation to tutor a young girl that would one day become the wife of Jeremiah, his uncle. He had been more interested in her maid Angelique than in her, but had given her lessons to appease his father. It would not be until later when she had grown into the lovely young woman that she had become that he would see her in an entirely different light. This was the sweet innocent Josette that had just come into womanhood and was preparing for her new life in the Americas to be with her new family and husband.

Barnabas felt his heart swell remembering that second and perhaps the first real meeting when she arrived at Collinwood to assume her position as the newly chosen mistress that would share his uncle's life. It was then he saw her for whom she really was a vibrant, loving beautiful woman that had taken his heart.

Now he stood here looking at her with his eyes filled with love and hope and then he remembered, Vicki, where was Vicki, what had happened? The room was now held in suspended time. Again just like before when the time had been suspended the clocks refused to move and once again they were trapped and no one was going anywhere.

Vicki opened her eyes, the room she was in was light and airy, the bed had a mosquito net hanging down from the canopy. She felt the heat of the day the light bathed her face in its golden glow of tropical heat. Sitting up she looked around in a panic. Where was she?' Pushing the netting aside she stood up in the elegant gown that she had worn to the old house and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. From the other side of the door way she could hear the chatter of the maids as they went about their duties and then her door was thrust open.

Andre DuPres moved into the room and smiled "Good morning Victoria, it is good to see you are awake and no ill affects from the coach accident that had befallen you."

Vicki was confused, she looked at the man she knew to be Andre DuPres but looked so much like Sam Evans that they could have been twins. "Hello Mr. DuPres." She spoke softly she felt confused and lost.

"My dear we agreed you would call me Andre, now come along breakfast awaits. I wished that Josette were here, she would be so happy to have another young lady to entertain and be her friend." Andre had hooked his arm through hers and led her from the room. "She is I am sure enjoying her Aunt Natalie's hospitality in Paris, I am just sorry she did miss you and that you came all this way not knowing she would be here."

His accent was not as pronounced as most from the islands but she went along with his chatter not sure how he knew her and why she was there, apparently the more he spoke the more clues to what was happening to her. Apparently, she had written to Josette telling her she was coming for a visit and when she had arrived her coach she had been riding in had crashed, killing the driver and giving her only minor injuries.

He led her down the wide expanse of the upper hallway that was open air and ended from the rear staircase to the front staircase. The white wood gave the whole area a romantic island feel. Andre continued to lead her with much familiarity along the hallway to the top of the stairs.

Vicki felt ill, she was sure of one thing; she was no longer in the United States. She was on an island and it must be Martinique. "I can tell you that Josette did nothing but speak of you when she returned from school in Paris, she said you were the perfect room mate at school and she missed you." So another part of the puzzle solved. "Now Victoria you must allow us to treat you as family, I am sure your family will be most anxious to know you have arrived and are settling in nicely, so after breakfast you must write to your parents in Paris and let them know."

Vicki nodded, her parents she had most of what she needed but for one important part of her new life, her last name. From behind Vicki heard a voice and a soft cough when a maid came up and curtsied, "Would Mademoiselle La Finnier require anything else?" Bingo, her last name was La Finnier; so she was Victoria La Finnier.

Another puzzled solved. "I am fine, I would like to change after breakfast and a bath?" She smiled, she wanted desperately to get out of he heavy brocade dress she now wore. Vicki managed to get through the day without much mishap and was glad to put on a lighter day gown. She took her time to acclimate herself to her new surroundings at least here she did not have to worry about Reverend Trask. The wraith had said she had not completed her task from the past, how could her being here in Martinique before the marriage to Jeremiah be a part of what she had to resolve in order to get home?

Vicki sat on the veranda in the comfortable rocker fanning her self when she saw the carriage approach the house. Watching with a sense of anticipation she waited to see who was coming to the DuPres Planation. The coach rolled to a halt, the figure did not wait for the coachman to open the door he poked his head out, glanced around, opened the door and jumped down brushing the dust from his great coat. His gaze traveled around and then alighted on Vicki, his gaze was riveted to the young beauty on the porch.

Smiling he moved up the stairs, "Hello are you Josette?" It was his voice, the same cultured tones, the easy going and ready smile that seemed to relax that intense look she had come to associate as his own unique look.

"No, I am sorry she is in Paris, I am Victoria W, La Finnier and you are?"

She had to play the game she did not want to face being called a witch, not here on this island away from anything familiar. "Collins, Barnabas Collins and it is my distinct pleasure my dear to make your charming acquaintance." He had taken her hand and placed a warm gentle kiss against her knuckles with a courtly bow. Vicki flushed and felt a warming sensation, while she shyly and under a fall of heavy eyelashes looked him over.

"The pleasure is mine Mr. Collins, welcome to Plantation DuPres, Andre should be back shortly. May I offer you some lemonade or tea?"

A lovely young black female servant appeared at the door of the house. "Would Misère like something to drink Victoria?" Her words were lyrically sweet.

"Ahh a lovely name for a lovely young woman." His manner was flirtatious he stood on the porch admiring her beauty. "I would deeply appreciate some cool water if you have it?"

The maiden bobbed a curtsy and moved back into the house. "What brings a man of such distinguished standing as a Collins to the island of mystics and love?" She teased him lightly and because she noted his name he was somewhat surprised that she knew of him.

"You know my family?" His manner growing more relaxed in her company.

Extending her hand to the chair next to hers she invited him to sit. "Please forgive my poor manners, I know you must have just come from the ship, you must be tired, won't you please sit?"

Vicki ran her hand down the back of her dress and sat watching him move his tails so he could join her on the porch. "I was somewhat parched and tired, you say Mr. DuPres will be back soon? I know he is expecting me. Our families are trying to tie a business venture together to import his cane to the colonies."

Vicki knew what had been agreed and would ultimately culminate in the arranged marriage between Josette and Jeremiah. With that liaison made it would culminate in her taking this man as her lover and ultimately send her over the cliff on Widows Hill. She quickly pushed that thought aside, it had left her with a feeling of being bereft.

Using her fan to stir some air, she nodded slowly, "I understood that Josette was being pledged in an arranged marriage between your Uncle and her family?" Vicki prayed this did not sound like she was prying or gossiping when she stated it as a matter of a conversation that might have been discussed previously.

"Yes, but my father Joshua thought it might be helpful if I came to the island for a couple of months and tutor the young lady in question. I half expected her to be here when I arrived." He looked around expectantly waiting to see if she just might appear out of thin air at his expectation.

"Her father tells me she is visiting her Aunt Natalie in Paris, so I fear your trip may have been in vain." Vicki sighed softly, a part of her wanted to curl into this man's arms and hold onto him for security and peace of mind, another part of her knew this was not her Barnabas but his two times great grandfather. She could easily see the traits that had been passed down with each generation. Which gave her pause to wonder about her own traits, was she like her grandmother or mother? The maid returned with a cool pewter mug of water, sitting it gently next to him on the table. "Thank you Clarisse. It was very kind of you to be so attentive to the gentleman's needs."

Barnabas took a long sip of the water, cradling it to his palm he let his gaze travel the area he kept coming back to peer at the profile of the woman he had come to admire. "I hope that while I am here we might be able to become better acquainted Mistress La Finnier." He found her enchanting enough to become enamored for her attention.

"I think I would like that very much Mr. Collins, perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me of your family in the colonies. I hear that the coasts of New England are very wild and free, do you have any difficulties with the Native Americans?" She was now using her knowledge of history to help her navigate this conversation. She allowed their conversation to grow and expand to compare literature, poets, authors and his home.

The afternoon had grown into an enjoyable foray into his family, the aspirations of the Collins family to further their shipping business and bring trade between the islands and his homeland. Vicki was finding that with him, she had come to admire the very same things she had admired in his future descendent.

Appearing to fulfill her promise to bring forth Andre DuPres it came that Andre had finished his rounds on the plantation and was seen riding up to the front of his house. Reining in that natural smile that lit up his face came into play he looked up to his surprise and delight to see Barnabas sitting on the front porch. "Ahh, it would be Barnabas Collins? Joshua's eldest son?" Andre dismounted and moved up the stairs to take his hand and give it a hardy shake. "Welcome to Plantation DuPres, allow me to take you in and get you settled in a room. We shall dine late tonight and I hope that you have enjoyed your company with our lovely Mademoiselle La Finnier?"

Vicki listened as they moved into the house and was soon lost to her senses she sat back and wondered why she was there and what would she have to do to make something right. Closing her eyes she sighed deeply unaware that from the roadway a darker figure set upon horse back and watched her with covetous eyes. A slow easy evil smile spread across his lips when he thought about his next step he would take to bring down the DuPres family and the Collins Family. His gaze raked over the lovely form of the woman that sat on the front porch and he wondered about her and who she was to this family and the visiting prodigal son.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Barnabas stood by the bed and watched her while she slept; she was here in her room. When he had taken her to the room, she had recoiled in shock and surprise, seeing her picture over the mantle, the room made to her taste and her clothing in the closet. It was her room, but not her room. It was Josette, but not quite his Josette. He looked at her face with eyes that were filled with love and astonishment. It was the young Josette, the one he had gone to Martinique to teach, the one that would some day come to Collinwood as the future Mrs. Jeremiah Collins, and his lover. How could he look upon this woman as the one he would take to his bed, fall in love and die to be with for the rest of his life?"

His fingers reached for the errant curl that lay precariously on her pillow, then his hand stopped as another memory began to flood his mind. One he had buried, one that was becoming like an old friend, of a beautiful woman, with long dark hair. How the wind whipped her hair across her delicate features. How with little on under her long white dress the symmetry of her body was evident when the wind blew against her body to show how slender and beautiful she appeared. She was very much the great goddess Amphitrite. With her hair blowing wildly about her face and head, her gown leaving little to the imagination, a body designed to be loved.

Her laughter had been light and filled with joy when she danced among the Mediterranean waves of the Indian Ocean. He saw her clearly and knew while he looked upon her sprite like figure that he was falling in love with this mysterious woman whose face was always there but on the peripheral of his mind and vision. Pulling the coverlet over Josette's body, he turned out the lights and left her to sleep. She had been hysterical and filled with fear she had realized that she was no longer in Paris or with her Aunt Natalie. Then to be told they were trapped together in this time, she had fainted, not unexpected considering she was so young and filled with terror.

He was just as sure somewhere back in time, Vicki was struggling to hold it together and try to find her way back to him and her time. He found it odd that he would have moved heaven and earth to find Josette. To be with her again and to seek to share the life from which he had been cheated. Now he watched the darkness outside and waited. Moving out of the room, Barnabas made his way to the drawing room where he found Elizabeth, Professor Stokes, Willie, Daphne and Quentin waiting for him. "What now?" Daphne asked anxious and frightened at witnessing such transference not knowing how it was possible that someone else had replaced Vicki.

"We wait, our time is suspended and we wait to see what happens and we pray, that Vicki does not die in the past or we loose her forever." Timothy Stokes had been the bearer of such dire news to poor Daphne.

The dawn arrived with stillness to the air, the room Vicki occupied was warm and it felt sticky with humidity. She dressed with few undergarments that she felt propriety would allow and was immediately more comfortable. Breathable cotton allowed her to feel less hot and sticky. She finished her breakfast, she found her parasol, looked around and decided a walk on the private beach would help her feel more comfortable with the tropical air.

Sliding her shoes off, she moved along the pathway to the edge of the white sandy beach, the sight that befell her was of such glorious beauty she was breath taken. Lifting her arms, she did airplane spins in the warm sands, lifting her chin up and allowing the sun to warm her face, and the breeze from the ocean to caress her heated body. Moving to the surf she kicked at the rolling waves that dampened and soaked the end of her dress, hiking her dress up to tuck the hem into her belt she laughed, the water unlike the water at home was warm. Overhead the gulls called and from the distance she could see a three masted ship that set against the backdrop of the rising sun.

Soon, the day would be warm and she would need to hide in the shadows to feel cool. For now she wanted to run in the surface, pick up shells and enjoy the cool of the morning. At least for now she did not have to worry about why she was there or how she might be getting back, she just wanted to enjoy the moment.

He stood at the edge of the beach, his gaze riveted to the beauty that danced like an ocean nymph in the waves and showed legs that were slandered and well muscled and arose in him something akin to desire and lust.

Proper breeding and good manners would not allow him to take it further than his imagination and right now that imagination was on over drive. He wanted her, he desired her, and he found her utterly enchantingly innocent and fey. She spun, jumped the waves and laughed he chuckled and that deep baritone chuckle traveled over the expanse of the beach. Vicki stopped her tribute to the sea turned and flushed deeply, quickly lowering her skirt to cover her legs.

"Now I am truly disappointed, here I thought I was witnessing the goddess Amphitrite and instead it is Mistress Victoria enjoying a paddle in in the ocean." He moved over the thick carpet of sand to stand near the edge of the sea line watching the waves in their continued to roll onto the shore.

Vicki laughed, "I am afraid you caught me being rather indiscrete, do forgive me." She lowered her lashes over those incredible sea colored eyes that were changing colors with her emotions and while they spoke. He had noticed how they shifted in color with the extreme of her emotions.

Vicki flicked her head to allow her hair to blow away from her face, and then turned to face the ocean, putting her body next to his. "I suppose from where you come from in the colonies, they have oceans and sandy beaches?" She shifted her head with a slight tilt to look at his profile. For a moment she was home with him in his house, waiting for him to regale her of the past and his family's history.

"Where we live, which the town is named for my family, the oceans are wild and untamed, the beaches are littered with the treasures that are oft times found along its shore and sometimes it is littered with wreckage of some poor ship or hapless sea faring vessel that was not fortunate enough to appease Neptune."

Vicki laughed, "How utterly interesting and a very charming description. Your family, the Collins Family, seafaring, fishermen, adventurers?" She knew the answer but wanted to spend this time with him, she was enjoying his company and making her life less lonely.

Vicki turned away from him and felt him grab her wrist. "No do not go." He pleaded with her he allowed his hand to slid from her wrist to take her hand in his.

Vicki flushed, "Would you care to stroll with me? I am a bit more acclimated to the water's edge and would appreciate your company." She watched the slow easy spread of that smile she had come to love and cherish.

Barnabas griped her hand tightly. His intent was to show his pleasure; the action caused her to grimace at the pressure. "Oh I am so terribly sorry for hurting you." He lifted her fingers to his lips and gently kissing them.

Together they strolled as young lovers along the wide expanse of the near deserted beach. Their thoughts oft times caught up in the beauty that surrounded them while they strolled along the shoreline. Their conversation was an experiment in getting to know one another and the time passed soon enough that the sun was high in the sky and they had reached their journey's end. With reluctance the two had turned to return to the point of their meeting when they saw a horse and rider approaching them on the beach at a fast pace. The figure was daunting as well as striking with his black cloak billowing around his body, the hat he wore pulled down low over his brow and the hint of a pistol tucked at his waist in a belt.

Riding upon the couple, he reined the horse in hard causing it to rear up, nostrils flaring eyes blazing with his run now halted. The voice was cold and harsh, "You trespass, and you will leave my property now!" His gaze raked over Vicki in her disheveled state of near undress and hiding nothing of the charms she possessed beneath the thin cotton dress. Then his gaze landed on Barnabas and pinned him to the spot. "Collins." His voice was raspy as he spoke the name.

"Jeddah Zachary, we shall leave your grounds, worry not that we would trespass knowingly." Stepping close to Vicki, he slid his arm around her waist to escort her around the mounted man on the horse's back.

"Halt, who are you madam?" He looked Vicki over with an insolence that bordered on insult he carefully undressed her with his gaze. A snarl that would have bordered on a smile edged the top of his lip he let his eyes enjoy the view from his vantage on horseback.

Barnabas noting how he looked at her stepped protectively in front of her, "She is the Mademoiselle Victoria La Finnier. A guest of Andre DuPres and his daughter Josette."

A knowing look filtered across his eyes as he studied the face and the woman that had just been introduced to him. "Duke François and Lady Eloise La Finnier of De Galle?" He questioned with interest.

Not sure but feeling this was the correct response she nodded. "Oui, I came for a visit but discovered Josette had gone to Paris, so I await her return."

He slid from the back of his horse and bowed low to her, "It is a pleasure to meet you my dear, please forgive my surliness earlier and make yourself available to my calling this eve, we have much to discuss."

Vicki was perplexed if not down right frightened of this man. Stepping around Barnabas, he reached for her hand, took it in his and smiled. "I thought to wait to make your acquaintance and had I know you were on the island would have availed myself to your pleasure sooner, you see, your father and mother and I have just entered a contract and it appears that you are a part of that contract."

Vicki was appalled, whatever did he mean. He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed her fingers; the look in his eyes denoted the cruelty that sheltered behind the fall of his lashes he shifted his gaze to peer at Collins. "Until later Collins, Mistress Victoria." Turning he mounted his horse turning it with a jerk of the reins whipping the horse galloping down the beach.

"Oh dear God!" She whispered softly, "What have they done?" Her fear was enormous and her voice cracked with her emotions she turned to cling to Barnabas.

Barnabas held her trembling form in his arms, and gently stroked her hair. "Whatever is done can surely be undone." He spoke softly holding her close and intending to be her champion to whatever end was possible.

"He says we are arranged, oh Barnabas I cannot marry that man! I don't even belong here in this time or this place. I belong to you in another time and another place. I was saving myself for you!" She cried softly into his shoulder while he held her and tried to understand what she had just said.

He understood her fear, and hysteria. But this talk was beyond hysteria it was bordering on insanity. "Victoria please calm yourself my dear. Whatever are you saying?"

Vicki pushed away from him, looked around scared to death having lost control, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am sorry, I was just hysterical. The vapors were upon me and must seek your forgiveness."

He tipped her chin up peering into her eyes he shook his head. "No, you said you belonged to me, in another time, in another place. I need to understand this. Are you a clairvoyant my dear? Do you subscribe to past and future lives?"

Vicki stepped away from his touch, and that look that had seen far too much. Taking a deep breath she spoke softly, "Barnabas if I told you the truth you would surely think me mad and you would believe me to be institutionalized as quickly as possible, but I swear it is the truth and I can prove it."

Barnabas led her in silence to a secluded spot near the DuPres Plantation; seating her on a rock he moved to sit across from her and studied her bent head. "Prove to me what you speak of is the truth, then I say explain my dear, and help me help you."

Vicki took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Less than twenty-four hours ago, I was in the old house in Collinsport, Maine, the very house your mother bore you into the world. I was in your upstairs ballroom having a séance, with your great, great grandson, your future relatives."

Barnabas tensed then looked at her with incredulity. "But that is preposterous, how could you be there when you were here?"

Vicki sighed, "Because the year was 1968, Collinwood had stood for almost two hundred years and I was a governess to Roger Collins son David Collins. I am currently being courted by your great, great grandson and name sake Barnabas Collins." She twisted the ribbon that was a part of the dress' decoration around her fingers while she explained to him in detail the lay out of the house and the reason she was sent here and her true name.

"Your father Joshua Collins is a very austere man who strongly resembles the man I know as Roger Collins, your mother Naomi Collins is a very beautiful, loving and caring woman who is one of the sweetest kindest women I had the pleasure to know." She took a deep breath and then continued. "Your sister Sarah is such a darling child of the sweetest nature so like her mother. Your Uncle Jeremiah has a vision to build the next expansion to Collinwood; a new Collinwood that will sit on top of Widow's Hill and face the ocean like a great and majestic lady. It will be a grand structure to face countless years of hurricanes, nor'easters, and winter storms. All from her foundation to the spires that want to reach and hold to the sky shall stand true and strong for many years facing adversity against man, weather, and time." She stood and moved to face the ocean, speaking, while her gaze grew distant with the memory she continued to tell him of his home.

"The shoreline is rugged and had claimed many lives in the many storms that seem to batter the area. From each tragedy more tragedy comes when the widows of those men come to the hill to throw themselves from its summit. The most tragic shall be the death of Josette Collins, she will throw herself from that very cliff." She turned to peer into his stunned gaze. "You Barnabas shall take Josette as your lover, she is to be your Uncle's wife, but you and she will fall in love."

"After she dies you will go to England to continue the family business, meet and marry another. From that union you shall produce another namesake, he shall venture to Collinwood in the late twentieth century. Where we meet and begin to court." Her voice had fallen in a softness that was reminiscent of memories remembered. Tears threatened to over take her and she slumped to the rock she had vacated earlier. Barnabas stood moving to her side to cradle her in his arms.

"My dearest Victoria, do not worry. We shall figure out something. This story is so, so incredible and amazing that I must have time to consider your words. Come we shall return to the plantation and I shall think of a way out of this situation for you." He had to consider this woman a witch or what she said she was a time traveler from the future. Something he had never dared to think was even remotely possible. However, here she was and she knew too much.

Looking deeply into his gaze she smiled, "You do not believe me. I know it is a preposterous story to consider Barnabas, but were I in your home now, I could take you to your mother's day room, Sarah's nursery, the ballroom, Josette's room, I can take you to it all. I can show you Collinwood as Jeremiah envisioned it and where the rooms there shall stand and what they will be. Now how could I know this if I had not lived there in a time to come?"

She sighed softly, "Shall I tell you of the Tuscan quarries that the stones were cut? I can tell you of the wall paper made of clam shell and horse hair that grace the walls in the drawing room and how the chairs nestle in front of the fireplace, the bay window that looks over the rose garden your mother so lovingly tendered, the majestic pillars that have stood to support the front of the manor house. I can tell you about the labor of the men that dragged the very foundation over ageless grounds to build a house that would represent the industry of the men that lived or in this case live now. Barnabas, I swear to you as I stand here, I do not lie. I know these things because your namesake told me of these marvels."

Her words were said with such tender feelings and sincerity he knew she believed everything she was telling him and he was convinced that perhaps this nymph he saw earlier was destined to be his great, great grandson's bride. If that were the case, then she needed to be protected and he would find a way to get her home. "Come we must return to the Planation and after the very disagreeable Master Zachary has left, you and I shall make our plans on how we shall see you away from this situation and to a safer environment."

Vicki paced the bedroom; she wore a dress of the purest blue silk, the soft material fluttering with her movements. It complimented her complexion and her eyes. Her hair had been dressed in curls that draped over her shoulders and down her back. She was nervous and scared. Was this what she had come to correct? A soft knock on the door and Mattie poked her head in, "Mademoiselle, Misère Zachary requests the pleasure of your company in the parlor." Vicki felt the lump in her throat tighten she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Reaching for her fan and shawl she moved on leaden legs to the door, took a deep breath let it out slowly then moved to the hallway to the top of the stairs. Peering below she watched the tall austere looking man that looked the interior of the house over with a critical eye while he paced with hands locked behind his back and dressed in a heavy brocade coat. Vicki had to admit he struck a striking pose and was a handsome man in his own right but he had a cruel set to his mouth and eyes that was very frightening. Sensing he was being watched, Jeddah stopped and peered up to see the lovely young woman standing at the top of the stairs. Standing there for a moment; the very beauty of her presence struck him. She looked properly afraid of him while she stood poised watching him with a hint of apprehension; which delighted him.

"_Good she will know who is the master of her life and house."_ He thought he watched her move gracefully down the stairs. Moving to the foot of the stairs he offered her his hand helping he to step off the bottom step. He noted her fingers trembled when she held his hand. "Now my dear, do not be afraid, I am here to acquaint you to me and for us to know one another before your parents post the banns." This statement alone was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

Leading her to the parlor, he seated her near the open French doors. "As you are aware your father's tittles do not pay the bills, and as he is a bit of a gambler and famous for his drink and parties, it was easy enough for me to secure his debts and hold his gratitude." His self-confidence was unnerving and over powering she listened to the arrogance of the man. "As such, and the fact he had a beautiful and eligible daughter it was a matter of securing his promise of marriage to bind our two families. I am a man of considerable means and circumstances and may easily put your father on a strict budget for your hand in marriage."

The statement of the facts had been so cut and dry that it astounded Vicki that he was so confident with what he had just said and how proud he was with what he had accomplished. "I get a beautiful wife set in society and with a title no less, and standing, you get to continue in a life style to which you have been bred and born and become accustomed." He moved about the room with such a self assured attitude that Vicki wanted to run screaming from the room. "Your father and I expect a male heir and if that should happen within the first year of our marriage, I have assured him a bonus for the effort."

His attitude, his demeanor had been so sterile, so to the point and a no non-sense attitude that broke no argument from any sector of the conversation. "I see, a male heir and a female progeny?" She stood on shaky legs and moved to the doors to peer out at the serene gardens and the tranquil night, though where she stood in her mind and in her heart there was nothing of that reflected there so close to her own heart. "What of love?" She asked softly, for if she had taken the place of this Victoria what life would she meet in this man's house or bed? Her voice had taken on a surreal sound of contemplation; she stood not looking at him but the night and the garden that belied so much to her senses.

She could not enjoy the smells that were so sweet and exotic and hinted of Josette's favorite perfume, the beauty of the exotic flowers belied of the treachery that seemed to be in play inside this house. How callous and cold this man was and what could he offer a woman but things, not feelings or love. "Love if it comes will come. It is an unnecessary emotion that confuses the intent and issues at hand. I shall treat you with respect and not beat you. You shall have domain over my home but my word shall be the final word. You will of course be expected to full fill all the wifely duties expected of a marriage and fidelity on your part is expected."

So in essence he had just told her he expected her to remain faithful but for him self, she turned to look at him. "And you? Shall you be allowed lovers while I languish for the though of passion in my husband's arms?" She watched his features cloud he saw she meant to challenge him.

"I bought you, I paid for you and it was a nice sum, for that I expect little else than your loyalty and fidelity to me. I want to know the heir that is produce is my heir and not a bastard because of your indiscretions."

Vicki felt her skin crawl, "I see, well thank you for your kindness and your forthrightness. I shall consider your proposal and we shall see where this progresses." She turned from him and left him standing in the center of the parlor to watch her move up the stairs with head held proud and shoulders set.

He watched her leave with a predatory look. He considered the spunk she had just shown, that could readily be beaten from her. In time he would break her and his life would be set on a course that he had longed desired and dreamed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Barnabas sat in the drawing room. "She is asleep, it was very distressing for her, this is the Josette that had not met Jeremiah or the other Barnabas, this is the young Josette that was carefree and happy traveling from the island to her Aunt's home in Paris. She had no idea she would be the future wife of Jeremiah, that her life would change so drastically to come here and be the wife of a Collins."

His voice had taken on a soft sad tone he sat and watched the fire in the fireplace. His thoughts were on the young woman upstairs that had been the pivotal part of his life so long ago. Oh how he had longed, thought about, even imagined having her back and here she was in the flesh and alive. The problem was she was unaware of whom they were and what she would come to mean to him.

"She is all of eighteen, and unaware that she is going to be pledged in marriage. I can see why she would be so upset." Elliott spoke softly he sipped his sherry. "We must keep her calm and the exchange will happen when Vicki had done what is needed."

Barnabas stood turned to his guests. "We are trapped so I shall see you all are situated comfortably. Elizabeth, Willie will show you to Naomi's room. Daphne, we shall see you to Millicent's room, Quentin, you are to have Joshua's room and Professor Stokes, you shall be in Jeremiah's room."

"There are changes of clothing for you, if you wish to rest be my guest and make yourself comfortable. I am sure if you find you are hungry, we have food and Willie will be happy to accommodate you. As for me, I hope you will excuse me; I will be in my library. I will bid you all good evening for now."

Barnabas stood and bowed to them all and on silent footfalls left them to be escorted to their rooms. Moving into his library he moved to his desk and sat. His gaze traveled to the window and his thoughts drifted back to the past. To a time he had nearly forgotten to a girl who had captured his imagination and heart before there had been a Josette. Closing his eyes he tried in vain to bring her features to mind and he could almost see her there through the mist like veil of his memories.

Hair as dark as midnight., eyes that colored with her emotions, a smile that brought a flutter to his heart and a touch so gentle and sweet that it was like the nectar of the gods. A voice filled with hope that bespoke tenderness untouched.

Closing his eyes he sat quietly thinking about that day on the beach, how she had danced in the surf, played in the waves, got her dress wet and then laughed and kicked at the waves. How his heart was very taken by such antics and how she had lightened his mood. He had bitterly argued with his father about sailing to Martinique to teach some silly little girl English. He had not wanted to leave Collinsport. His father had insisted on him going and finally he had set sail. A month at sea and then he made landfall and was whisked away to the DuPres Plantation.

The coach had arrived and he saw her on the veranda, looking like a long cool drink of pure refreshing water. She was stunning sitting in her simple frock of cotton empire waist with her luxuriously long hair pulled back and tied behind her neck.

How her eyes had danced with mirth when he stuck his head out and saw her on the veranda. Then she stood and with such ease and grace she stood waiting for him to join her on the veranda. He was captivated by her appearance and presence.

From there he was determined to know her better and then Jubbah Zachary came upon them while walking on the beach. The news that Jubbah had been chosen as her husband had devastated them both. She had been hysterical and was as determined not marry the horrid man. His first real adventure to help the fair maiden escape a fate she thought was worse than death. Little did he realize at the time, the man would become one of the deadliest enemies he would ever know? Now his Victoria was there and was she the Victoria that had replaced that Victoria? He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and prayed she was not.

Quentin moved into the room looking with concern at his cousin. "You are troubled by something what is it?"

"I fear that Vicki may be in very grave danger Quentin. If she is where I think she is, and she has exchanged places with another Victoria from that time, she will die."

"Why do you say that?" Quentin moved to sit across from him crossing his leg and relaxing back against the chairs tufted back.

"There was a lot that I have never told anyone about my life before Josette was a part of it. My father sent me to Martinique when Josette is the age she is now. My job was to make her comfortable with the English language and to help her understand our way of life in Collinsport to prepare her for her arrival here at Collinwood."

Quentin nodded, "I understand and you did not want to go because you wanted to live your own life and not be the errand boy for your father?" Quentin found it ironic that this man's life was like most Collins males at the beck and call of the patriarch of the family.

"Yes, I wanted to experience life and not be at the mercy of my father. I suppose I was ambition and knew I had a good business sense enough so that my father trusted my decisions. On this I thought it silly to waste my talents on some silly little girl on an island that was spoiled by her doting father."

"So you went to Martinique?" Quentin prompted him to continue.

"I went and when I arrived, discovered that Josette was in Paris. However, a school mate of Josette's had come for a visit, her name was Victoria La Finnier, her father was a Duke and her mother a Lady in Waiting to the Queen of France. She was enchanting, delightful, and filled with passion and was a pure as the driven snow."

"Victoria?" Quentin arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, Victoria was a beautiful girl filled with sweetness and tenderness that was beguiling. I thought at one point I had fallen in love with her. We spent a lot of time together walking the beach, talking about where our lives should be in the coming years, shared dreams and a stolen kiss or two. Then he came into her life and I watched her slowly wilt and die on the vine at the thought of having been sold to this man as a prize for his house."

"Who was this man?" Quentin was curious, he had only know Barnabas feelings for Vicki and heard about his feelings for Josette, this was a new aspect to him that Quentin found interesting. "You fell in love with her?"

"For what I believed love was, yes. Then she was so distressed and was going to run away, I could not stand the thought of loosing her, so I helped her escape Jubbah Zacchary, I brought her back here to Collinsport and helped her hide from him."

Barnabas stood moving to the window to peer out into the front garden. "Father was furious, his thoughts were to see us; Jeremiah and myself married. He had planned for Jeremiah to Josette and me to cousin Millicent, it would have tied our fortunes together."

"I was not inclined to marry Millicent; I felt nothing for her. I wanted to love and be loved, I wanted the passion that went with the tenderness, I suppose I was a foolish young man with flights of fantasy at the time and had dreamed of having a life other than what would be dictated to me." He turned and smiled sadly, "Victoria represented to me all that was in me that was chivalrous, how was I to know that Jubbah would come to the Colonies and take her back only to kill her on his plantation? Her life ended tragically at the hands of a murderous letch that did not deserve her."

"So do you think our Victoria has taken this Victoria's place and she is the one that maybe needs her help to correct the situation?"

"Yes, I fear she is there to take the place of the one that died. If she dies Quentin, I am sure she will not come back, not this time. I fear we will loose her forever."

"Barnabas how do you feel about Josette? If Vicki does not come back, then won't this Josette be left here to live out her life?" Quentin had asked the question he had avoided since her arrival.

"Quentin, this Josette does not know anything of our love. She is a child, a young innocent girl that had her whole life laid out for her by my father and her father. She was an obedient child that did as she was told. That is not whom I feel in love with those many years ago."

"But you could mold her into who you wanted, she was the love of your life." Quentin softly argued the point to see his cousin's reaction.

"I have done nothing but think of our love since her arrival here, I have reasoned that perhaps the years settled me, or it was the influence of another woman in my life that has curbed the passion I felt for Josette."

"My heart is not hers to take anymore Quentin. I made my decision that my love was for one woman in this time and in this place and that woman is now trapped in the past facing God knows what."

Vicki paced the floor of her bedroom, she had to escape but she was not sure how she would be able to do so without the funds. She showed up there as a guest and now this, was an impossible situation. A light knock on the door gave her pause she moved back from the door expecting to see Jubbah open the door and force his intentions on her. Instead she heard his voice. "Victoria? It is Barnabas are you awake?"

A flood of relief filled her being with such hope that she practically flew to the door to throw it open and run head long into his arms and chest. "Oh Barnabas! Thank God it is you! I cannot marry that man! He is impossible, I fear I don't know what I am going to do?" From below a loud chorus of shouting and angry panic filled voices flooded the rooms upstairs with their urgency. Breaking her hold from Barnabas she turned to see Andre DuPres charging up the stairs in abject fear.

"Andre what is it?" Vicki asked concerned over the look of fear and anger that was now becoming etched across his kind features.

"Josette had disappeared. Natalie sent word she is gone, nowhere to be found! I must be off to Paris to see what is being done to locate her." A father's worse nightmare, a beloved child missing and no one knows where they are. "I will return as soon as she is located, until then you are both most welcome to the use of my home while I am away."

Vicki felt sicken, she knew where Josette was and was not sure how to react to this information or if she should tell Barnabas.

Barnabas guided her down the stairs and onto the veranda, he stood close and spoke softly, "Do you know anything about this?"

Vicki nodded, "The last time when I came back in time, a Phyllis Wick took my place in my time. I took her place in this time. This time it was different, I thought at first I had traded places with the Victoria from this time but apparently, it was Josette that exchanged places with me and I don't know why." Then she looked at her hand and saw the ring on her right ring finger, "Unless it has to do with her ring." She lifted her hand to show him the ring. "Your contemporary gave me this ring as a promise to our impending engagement, he told me it had belonged to Josette and had been given to her on her sixteenth birthday by her father."

Barnabas sighed, "She has not turned eighteen. She is now seventeen and will not experience her eighteenth birthday for another six months."

Vicki sat hard on the chair and frowned, "This ring must be the reason she is in my time and I am here." Tears blurred and burned her eyes as she lowered her head and wanted to weep.

Barnabas sat next to her, "Victoria, I am going to suggest something and hope you will not consider me too forward for suggesting a solution to your problem."

Vicki raised her tear soaked eyes as she looked hopefully to him for a solution to her predicament. "I am open to any suggestion at this juncture."

Gently Barnabas took her hand, offering her a smile, "I propose you join me on my voyage home. I shall get you aboard into my cabin, you must stay close to me during the voyage."

"I fear it will take at least three weeks of sailing in horrendous conditions but I promise you that once we get to Collinsport, I shall offer you sanctuary at Collinwood and you shall be kept safe."

Hope sprung eternal at the thought of going back to Collinwood. It might be the very place she really needed to be to try and return home. "We could do this?" she asked hopefully.

"I will make sure it is done and no one knows you are on my ship. The ship that brought me here is owned by Collins Enterprises and the one that would take us home shall be a Collins sailing vessel. I shall write my mother and make her iaware of your situation and our impending trip."

Vicki leaned forward hugging him closely. "Thank you so much. I was not sure how I was going to handle this; I had no funds when I arrived here. Victoria's trunks were already here ahead of my arrival."

Barnabas held her close, he had to admit that if this woman was to be a part of his future grandson's life he was a fortunate man indeed. "I cannot help but wonder, what happened to the Victoria La Finnier. Surely she must be around here somewhere, for Jubbah to think he had her hand in marriage."

Vicki nodded slowly, "Unless she was transported as well. All I know is that man tonight was the most horrible, insensitive lout I had the misfortune to ever meet. I would not like to ever think of any woman being with him, he made my skin crawl with disgust."

Barnabas smiled, he was not one to say it out loud but he had felt the same way when in his company and he had shared the man's company on two other occasions, one of which when he had a brief layover in Collinsport while trying to negotiate business with his father. Joshua had not liked the man's tactics or bullying manner and had sent him packing. Not to mention the man had made questionable aspersions about his mother to his father, saying he could see why Roberts had grown an unhealthy interest in her.

This had been a time Naomi had arrived from England bringing Barnabas with her. They had been on one of Joshua's ships when pirates had over taken their ship. Barnabas had been very young at the time but he vividly recalled the daring pirate captain when he had lined the passengers up on the deck. He was going down the line taking all valuables from the passengers and he had come to his mother. His eyes locked with hers she stared at him in open defiance.

"Madam, your jewels." He had said with that silky tone men used when flirting with beautiful women.

"You may not have them, they are family heirlooms." She had spoken with open contempt at his audacity of wishing to rob the passengers of the ship.

Edward Roberts bowed then spoke with a seductive manner, "Spend but one night with me and I shall allow you and the rest of this crew and passengers to keep their worldly goods."

"I am no common whore sir, I am a lady of breeding and married." Naomi had been outraged by such a proposal.

"Then dinner aboard my ship, and you may keep all you own and the others will not be put to death."

Barnabas had hung close to his mother's skirts peering up at the man that would try and take his mother, charging forward he had flailed his fists at the man only to be scoped up by one hand and dangled in the air. "What have we here?"

"You leave my mummy alone!" He had shouted, his little face scrunched up turning red.

"Aye careful there Cap'n you got aye self a real whippier snapper!" The crew had laughed at his efforts. The frightening part had been when Roberts threatened to throw him over board and feed him to the sharks that were now circling below the ships prow.

Naomi had immediately snatched him back into her arms glared at the Captain, "Done, now leave me and mine be until your dinner!" That night as she prepared for the dinner, she had dressed in her best gown she owned. She finished dressing she had been informed the Captain had sent a gown he wanted her to wear. When Naomi had received the dress she was impressed, it was the height of French Fashion and fit her to perfection. She had kissed her son goodnight promised him she would return.

Barnabas only suspected his mother had been unfaithful to his father that night, when she had returned she had been humming and wore a beautiful necklace of considerable value along with some other minor trinkets. Even to this day he wondered if Captain Roberts had come to Collinsport searching for his mother. There were occasions that he would see her sneaking out of the house and would return later appearing to be happier than when she had been with his father. He never questioned her, or would he allow anyone to say anything negative about his mother. To him she was the purest form of womanhood he had ever known.

But to have Jubbah Zachary say unkind things about his wife to his face was enough for Joshua Collins to call him out or send him packing. Joshua followed the letter of the law he sent him packing. That was one reason he felt his father would be willing to allow him to bring Victoria to Collinwood. Barnabas considered the very fact that she was fleeing from Jubbah, would he felt be reason enough for anyone to offer her a safe haven.

Using the cover of confusion created by the disappearance of Josette and under cover of dark, Barnabas had successfully spirited Victoria away from the DuPres Plantation aboard the Sea Mistress and they set sail for Collinwood. Their time together had been concentrated and spent mostly in his cabin, reading, playing cribbage, and talking about their lives. Vicki had never felt so close to anyone as she did during that time on ship with Barnabas.

The nights were spent being discrete always remembering they were well bred and not inclined to give in to their natural instincts of exploring their growing love or needs. The weather had been fair until they had reached the tip of the Indian Ocean and began their trek through the Atlantic, then the swells had increased, the weather was less than agreeable and Vicki found herself experiencing seasickness for the first time in her short life.

The feeling had been horrendous, the nausea, headaches and dehydration wishing to over take her body. At one point she felt she had slipped into a delirium. The one constant that had been her salvation was the calm tender voice of her caretaker. The journey neared its end, she was able to stand and tolerate water and some crackers. Finally the word was shouted from above from the crow's nest, "Land Ho!" Vicki had never felt happier in her entire life than to know they would be setting their feet on solid ground soon.

Naomi, Sarah, and Jeremiah had arrived at the docks to await the ship. With the lowering of the gangplank and the crew along with the passengers began to disembark Naomi saw her beloved son. Smiling she raised her kerchief and waved. "There he is Jeremiah. Oh look there is the young lady he wrote to us of and she looks ghastly! She must have had a hard time on the crossing."

"I shall get the carriage Naomi, Sarah, do you wish to come with me and wait for Barnabas and his friend?" Sarah watched her brother move with the lovely but frail looking woman making their way off ship.

"Yes Uncle Jeremiah." She turned taking his hand and moved towards the hustle and bustle of the wharf side. Naomi weaved her way to her son's side. Vicki looked up and smiled, there was a more youthful Naomi still as beautiful as she remembered. "Welcome to Collinsport Mistress La Finnier!" Naomi hugged her with warmth that reminded Vicki of Elizabeth.

"Thank you Mrs. Collins. I do so appreciate your hospitality and your welcome." Vicki did not want to let go of the woman that held her close.

"Come along, we will get back to Collinwood and let you rest up, I am sure that you had a rough crossing and you might wish to bathe and change clothing." Vicki was home, not her home, but close enough and now she did not have to worry about Jubbah Zachary. All she needed to do now was to try and find her way home, to her home.

With Barnabas guiding both women to the carriage that awaited them by the wharf side Vicki glanced up and saw Jeremiah, the man that so strongly resembled Burke sat looking bored and mildly amused at the attention that Barnabas seemed to show her. Then her glance landed on the sweet face of Sarah, so young, so sweet looking in her pretty dress, cloak and hat. Vicki's heart broke in a few short years she would become ill and die a tragedy she had failed to prevent.

"Oh do look Uncle Jeremiah, is she not pretty? Do you think she will want to marry Barnabas and be my big sister?" Sarah's bright pure face beamed with excitement seeing her brother's approach.

Jeremiah looked at the pale thin young woman and saw nothing remarkable about her except she was passably pretty but appeared to have been ill for a while. "We do not know little one, come sit up here with me so your mother, Barnabas and Mistress Victoria may have the seats."

He watched affectionately the child scramble over the seats to crawl up and sit next to her Uncle. Barnabas helped Vicki into the carriage first, and then he helped his mother, moving around to the passenger seat of the carriage driver's area he sat next to his sister. Lifting her up he settled her on his lap and relaxed as she leaned back against him and in his arms. "Welcome home brother!" she said softly as she allowed her eyes to flutter shut, then turned her tiny face into his chest to inhale the scent of him. "You smell like lilacs brother."

Barnabas chuckled softly, "Thank you my dear, it is a scent that Miss La Finnier enjoys to wear and I must say I do so enjoy the scent."

"She is pretty Barnabas, are you going to marry her?"

Naomi heard her daughter and softly admonished her, "Sarah, Barnabas hardly knows her well enough to make such a decision at this time darling. Go on and close your eyes and rest darling. When we get home and freshened up, perhaps we all shall get to know Mistress La Finnier better."

Vicki sighed softly, "Please you all must call me Victoria." The rest of the trip was made with Vicki looking around at things familiar and unfamiliar. Closing her eyes she said a silent prayer of thanks.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Vicki lay back in the cast iron tub and sighed. It felt so heavenly to be able to feel clean, and that alone made her feel better. She did not want to leave the warmth of the water but knew she had to finish so her hair could dry. Lifting her hand to brush the damp hair from her face she paused then looked at her hand.

Josette's ring was missing. Feeling a panic she shifted in the tub and searched the water, then the towels and the washcloths, no sign of the ring. A sinking feeling filled her, it was a promise ring and it had meant so much to him and it had been a family heirloom and now because of her illness on the ship, she had lost weight and it had fallen from her finger.

Sighing sadly, she stood from the tub, finished drying off, and pulled on the housecoat Naomi had provided to her for her bath. Moving to the seat by the vanity in the bathing room, she looked at the dark circles under her eyes. She had been so ill on the ship. Now she was on land she saw the toll it had taken o her looks. Sighing softly, she pulled the comb through her hair as she studied the sallow looking skin, and sunken cheekbones; she looked like death warmed over. What she needed was a little sunshine and food. That would put the pink in her cheeks and the weight back on her slender form.

Moving from the bathing room, she padded down the hallway to the room that would one day be called Josette's and let her self into the room, paused and looked at how different it appeared, it had the canopy bed, and similar setting of furnishings but it was more colonial and less French Provincial. A soft knock on the door, a maid entered, "Mistress Victoria? I am Melanie, I shall be helping you settle in, I have put away your clothing, would you like me to dress your hair and help you dress?"

Vicki nodded, "That would be helpful, thank you so much Melanie, and please call me Victoria, no need for formalities with me." She watched the girl smile and she moved to the vanity by the door.

"If you will sit, I shall begin with your hair first."

Vicki sighed deeply sitting patiently while the girl was a wonder with curling and manipulating her hair into a lovely set of high fashion long curls that delicately laid down her back.

Barnabas moved up the stairs, the air around him had become charged and it denoted that a change had occurred; this feeling troubled him greatly. Moving with a sense of expectation and dread he paused outside of Josette's room. Knocking lightly on the door he called, "Josette? Mon Cheri?" His voice soft and filled with concern he pushed the door open and stood shocked to the core of his being.

In the center of the room stood Victoria La Finnier. Wild eyed, filled with terror and shock she turned about the room in hysterics. "Where am I? What has happened? Who . . Who. . Barnabas?" She rushed to him throwing herself into his arms. "Oh Barnabas it is you? Why am I here?"

A perplexed Barnabas held her tightly, if she were here where was Josette? Pushing her back with a tender gentleness he lifted her chin, "You my dear are in my home. I need you to calm yourself and relax and tell me what you remember?"

Victoria La Finnier was a lovely young woman with long dark flowing hair, bright green eyes, and pure skin as pale as the moonlight. She could have been a close second to Vicki, except there were qualities that Vicki had this girl sadly lacked, one of which was a degree of intelligence that had amazed Barnabas.

To say she was vacuous would have been an understatement. What she lacked in intelligence, she made up in her beauty and innocence. Leading her to the settee, he helped her sit then stooped down to face her. "Now my dear please as best as you can tell me what was the last thing you remember?"

Victoria felt tearful she sat feeling numb and lost. "I was with Josette and we were in our room in Countess Natalie's house, then we both were over come with a wave of sickness that surrounded us with a blanket of darkness. When I awoke, I was in this room!"

Barnabas sighed; he had concluded that they must have traded places. Something must have happened with Vicki in the past to affect this change. "My dear, I want you to come downstairs with me, there is a very scholarly gentleman who is a dear friend to me, I want you to tell him what happened."

Josette sat up with a startled scream. Her eyes were opened wide and filled with fear she looked frantically around her room. The door to her room was thrown open and her maid Angelique Bouchard rushed into the room. "Josette! You are back! Where were you? Your Aunt has sent for your father, they are all so very worried!"

From the hallway another set of footsteps could be heard approaching the door to her room, Natalie DuPres stood in her nightgown, and night hat looking in astonishment at her niece. "Josette, petite chéri, where have you been? We have the authorities looking all over Paris for you!"

Josette began to weep, "I do not know Aunt Natalie, it has all been like a horrible dream, I was in this strange house and there was a man there that looked like Barnabas Collins, he was very kind to me but he made no sense whatsoever. I was so frightened and then I went to sleep, when I awoke, I was here in my room!"

Natalie looked to Angelique, "Go find the Constable, bring him here, there is treachery a foot and I want to know who was behind this horrible charade that hid our Josette from us!"

Josette clung to her Aunt Natalie's neck holding close to her, eyes closed and in tears. "Do not leave me! I want Poppa!"

"Shh Mon Cheri, your Poppa is on his way now. You shall rest, Angelique also you will need to send for the doctor! We need to get her calm down."

Vicki stood at the top of the stairs and peered below, Jeremiah was in the middle of instructing the construction crew to what he expected to be done for the day, when he noticed his men were looking up. Turning he paused and he was thunderstruck.

She was the most enchanting creature he had laid eyes upon. She stood dressed in a deep emerald green empire dress, her hair laid in a cascade of curls down her back and over her shoulders, her eyes were wide with curiosity and innocence standing there watching the men below.

"Well hello there Mistress Victoria, do come down and join us? These fine gentlemen are helping me build a new Collinwood." His smile was easy going, filled with warmth and his eyes glowed with appreciation with her appearance.

Vicki smiled, her face lit up with the beauty of that smile and filled her to her very soul. Stepping down the steps she nodded politely to the men in the foyer. "My pleasure to meet you." Her voice was tinged with true appreciation for being in their company and they knew she was genuine and not just being polite.

They all nodded politely as they waited for the final instructions from Jeremiah. He made the last of his requests quickly and watched them all turn smiled and bowed to Vicki then left the room. Turning he chuckled, "I do believe you have enchanted my workers Mistress La Finnier."

Vicki flushed and he found that even more enchanting with the color spreading across her cheekbones. "Has anyone told you that you have the prettiest smile?' He moved to her side studying her features, his hand went to her face, and he paused, his hand barely touching her cheek. "Your eyes, they change colors when you change emotions." From the doorway a soft cough announced the arrival of another. Turning Jeremiah smiled, "Hello Peter, come meet our newest guest to Collinwood. Mistress Victoria La Finnier, may I present Peter Bradford, my nephew's best friend."

Vicki was caught in the moment she watched Jeremiah move his hand to caress her face, the action so much like how Burke would touch her face when he looked deeply into her eyes and professed his love. She had held her breath waiting to relive the touch. Then the moment was gone and there was Peter Bradford, the man that would fall in love with the poor Miss Wicke. He smiled warmly at her approach to offer his hand. "My pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister Bradford."

He captured her hand, lifting it to place a light kiss across her knuckles. "The pleasure is mine Mistress Victoria. How long will you be staying with the Collins Family?" His words were sincere and held a hint of a flirtatious manner he glanced around the room and then back to her.

"I have been given an open invitation with no restrictions. I hope to find a place to stay and perhaps shall live here." He released her hand, stepped back, and then looked around for Jeremiah. "So how are you finding your visit so far?"

"I am enjoying my stay, have you lived here all your life?" She knew it was small talk, which she always hated, but managed to make her way though the first part of getting acquainted.

Peter feeling awkward with the moment shook his head, "No, I moved here right after the end of the war." He was not good at small talk either and was ready to break and run.

Vicki sensing his end of their conversation was over smiled, "Mr. Bradford would you mind terribly if I excused myself. I would like to walk in the rose garden; I understand Mrs. Collins was expecting me for tea. You are more than welcome to join us if you are so inclined, but I have a feeling that you would be more comfortable with Mr. Collins and his work crew."

He was so grateful for the break in the small chitchat, which he immediately broke into a genuine bright smile. "Thank you, and you are correct I am more comfortable with the workmen, so if you will excuse me, I do have some questions regarding the sketches of the entrance to the new house."

Vicki did not stop the excitement she beamed, "Oh the Porte Concher? It will be lovely! It will shelter in the rain and wind but give the majesty that you hope to accomplish." After she spoke she realized she had made a big mistake in her enthusiasm to feel accepted by the family.

"How did you know we were considering a Porte Concher as the entrance to the new house?" Jeremiah was dutifully impressed with the knowledge she had just expressed and surprised. It was something he had not decided to implement until she mentioned it and the reason for the covering.

"Oh I suppose it was something Barnabas had mentioned to me on our trip to Collinsport." She covered her faux pa quickly and prayed that this had been something that had been discussed with Barnabas.

"Ahh of course, you discussed the ongoing construction of the new house and I am sure he mentioned that it was under consideration, but not determined when he left."

Vicki nodded, "Maybe I can convince you as to what I perceive it would be like should you decide to add that part of the entrance to this grand house you hope to build." For a moment she closed her eyes and she could see the great house on the hill as it stood against the backdrop of the wild Maine Coastline. She could see the long expanse of the driveway winding up from the double gates to the front of the house. Then she began to describe the house from her heart. Her first impression from when she entered that gate and drove up to the front entrance, to come to a halt under the over hangs that was a Porte Concher.

She continued to describe for him, how on a night that offered no friendship but cold, icy winds that blew against the wide expanse of the hill and its occupants a grand house with spires that reached for the sky with a double oaken doors with brass knockers. How that over hanging structure made welcome the visitor. Then she went on to explain that when you opened the door and entered a vestibule, the eyes would travel to the grand foyer that held the staircase that would majestically rise above the Italianate flooring below.

How that staircase would end at a second floor balcony and show case a huge stain glass window so that when the sun shown through it in the morning it would send the color array dancing on the floor below. From the entrance of the foyer, the viewer could turn and see two large oaken doors that would open into the drawing room, and face a huge fireplace with a settee to rest on and warm one self against the cheerful fire.

Then how the French windows would then open out and you could hear the three-tier fountain's waterfall dance its way down to the lower level, and the windows would look upon the front part of the large lawn.

She had taken a a pause in her reverie, Jeremiah was impressed, "The way you described my vision of the new house was almost as if you had lived in it. The way you talk about the house it almost seemed personal to you."

Vicki flushed and realized she may have said too much and tipped her hand. "Perhaps when we had that time on the ship and we talked about family, a home and what that home would mean to a family, your vision became real to me."

She tried very hard to make light of the fact she had lived in that house and she missed it, she missed it more than life itself and she wanted very much to be back in that house with the family that had made her a part of their family.

Jeremiah sighed deeply, "I concede, we shall have a Porte concher to welcome the weary traveler to our humble home. Now if you will excuse me, I shall ride over and have the work crew begin on constructing this welcoming over hang for future visitors to Collinwood!"

She watched him leave with a lighter footstep and a jaunty whistling tune he saddled up and rode off down the roadway. Vicki chuckled, "That is one of the most delightful sounds I have heard all day."

Turning she smiled seeing Barnabas move down the steps. "The way you just described the new house it made me believe that you had lived there. The vision was so clear and the way you talked about it, you held such passion for the house."

Vicki sighed deeply, "It is a beautiful home Barnabas. The family that lives there has dwindled but they are a family that loves the house with all its vacant rooms and its immense space. They love, they laugh and they live in that house and they are proud of the people that built the house and handed it down from generation to generation."

He admired how she so vividly described the house and its entranceway to the foyer and the drawing room. "My first night I arrived here, I came by railroad. I had come from New York at the request of the matriarch, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, who bears a striking resemblance to your mother Naomi."

She moved to the front doors of the old house, and stepped out of them onto the front entrance that stood between the rising white colonnades that supported the over hand of the third story of the house. "It was as I entered the hallway and moved into the foyer. The immenseness of the house and the shear beauty of its structure over whelmed me. I was scared to death as I walked into the drawing room to stand and look back at Mrs. Stoddard."

"Of course there had been rumors running rampant in the town that Collinwood was haunted, I had no such belief in such things as spirits or ghosts or the like, so I chose to not believe what I was told." Her voice had grown soft she thought back to that night and the warning that Maggie Evans had given her while she waited for transportation to Collinwood.

"I was soon to discover that spirits, ghosts wraiths do exist and so do witches, that curse people and create havoc in their lives." She sighed deeply she let her mind drift for the moment to the time she was thrust back here to save Daniel. "So you see, Barnabas I do have a history with Collinwood and its inhabitants. I am a part of that family nearly two hundred years from now." He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. She went willingly into his embrace and held to him.

"At least now, I do not have to worry about an arranged marriage to a very disagreeable man. That is thanks to you and your chivalry for rescuing me from a fate I fear would be worse than death itself."

He held her close and was reluctant to let her go. "You will not need to worry about Jubbah while here my dear. I swear to you I shall protect you from him at all costs." He could feel her body relax against his and it was a pleasant experience as he felt the soft breath against his neck, pushing her back he looked deeply into her eyes and felt himself compelled to lean in and kiss her. At first the kiss was chaste and innocent but when the moment grew so did his demand and he pressed for a more passionate kiss and was surprise that she so readily responded.

Then as if she had an after thought, she pushed away from him, her face flaming red. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry please forgive my brashness." She had turned from him, only to feel him pull her back against him.

"Victoria, if I had not known that you were to be the promised one of my great, great grandson, I would never have thought to take such liberties. I find myself drawn to you for no inexplicable reason other than I think I feel I am falling in love with you."

Vicki blushed, lowered her gaze and looked away, "I too am feeling the same feelings and can only imagine that it's because of my association to your ancestor." Her words had gone soft and unsure as she moved to lean against one of the columns. She felt her world was tilting and she wanted it to right itself before she fell off.

"What if you do not return to your time, Victoria, what will you do?" He moved to take her hand in his, and frowned when he noted her ring was missing but said nothing.

She curled her fingers into his, looked at them intertwined together. "Then I shall leave here and seek employment perhaps in New York, or Boston." She had spoken softly she finally gave into the thought that she very well may not get back this time.

"Please allow me to offer to you the use of this house until such time you have decided what you will do. I would not like to loose you now that I have found you." Barnabas looked at their hands and then to her. He watched that ready smile ease across her face as she watched him from under the fall of her eyelashes. "I confess that even now when I am away from you, I cannot think of anyone else but you. I want to protect you, to keep you safe and to hold you in my arms. I find that I cannot function unless I know you are well or attended with care and love."

Vicki knew that she should not hear these words and was about to protest when the shrill voice of Abigail Collins made itself known. "Barnabas Collins, who is this woman!" Abigail in all her pinched and spinster's glory moved forward like a storm trooper, with her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed she raked her gaze over Vicki's figure.

"Aunt Abigail, may I present the Lady Victoria La Finnier of Paris. Victoria, my Aunt Abigail Collins, my father's sister."

Vicki had never liked Abigail; she preferred her contemporary to her time Mrs. Johnson who was far more agreeable than this mean minded and tempered woman. Vicki pushed from the column and faced Abigail.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Collins." She bobbed a curtsy to her and then stepped back. The shear evil of the woman was all encompassing where she stood like a harbinger of doom over the front entrance to the old house. Abigail snorted she studied Vicki with her contemptuous gaze.

"Where did she come from? Why was I not told we had a guest in the house, and what are you doing out here trying to seduce her?" The words were meant to be hurtful and they were meant to be insulting. Vicki flinched as if she had been physically struck by the woman's mean tempered ways.

"Aunt Abigail! That is enough, I will not tolerate your speaking to Mistress La Finnier in such a manner." Barnabas had physically stepped in front of his Aunt putting his body between him and his Aunt. "You will apologize immediately."

Elliott Stokes studied the woman that sat in front of him. He noted she was very much like Victoria Winters but for the fact she was not nearly as bright or articulate. "So my dear, do sit down and do not be afraid, we merely are trying to find a way to get you home."

Victoria whimpered she looked around at the strange room with such wonders as lighting without fire, and an object that was oddly shaped and buzzed when you picked it up. Barnabas had taken the telephone's handset from her and replaced it to the cradle. "What kind of place is this? What wonders do you have and how are you able to have such inventions?' So easily distracted and so easily placated to so easily upset when she was chastised to pay attention and try to explain how she got there. Now she had moved into the weepy form and for once Barnabas had to admit he saw why he had quickly lost interest in her and took up his affair with Angelique.

Elliott smiled again and offered her his handkerchief. "There, there my dear, dry those lovely eyes and look here." He tapped the top of the desk. "Now you were sleeping in your room and then you were upstairs?"

Sniffing lightly she nodded. "Yes, we were sleeping in our rooms and the Baroness DuPres started to scream that Josette was missing, it caused such a stir and it was very upsetting. Then the officier de la loi was summoned. After that I was sent back to my room. When I went to sleep, I was in my bed and then I awoke in another bed and a strange room."

Elliott stood and moved to the window to peer out at what was represented in the time freeze, blackness with no light source penetrating it. "Then I suspect we are in flux and must wait to see how our Vicki fares in the past. I think that as long as she continues to wear the crystal ring you gave her and the necklace she should be protected form the outside influence of the questing wraith."

Victoria La Finnier was showing signs of fatigue as she sat quietly in the tufted back chair. Barnabas recognizing she was tiring gently guided her up. "Come my dear, let us get you back to bed and to rest. We I fear have a long night ahead of us."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jubbah Zachary threw his goblet across the room and watched it smash against the wall. He was roiling with rage and someone was going to pay for his anger. He stomped across the room with such vengeance that the rafters from above seemed to tremble. "I invoke the darkness of evil that is this island's guiding source! I invoke the demons of old to hear this call, and come forth! Bring me the image I seek!"

Jubbah moved to the mirror on the wall and waited, the mirror shimmered, shifted in image and there she was. Her image faded but there. Then the image cleared and he frowned, it was not the image he had sought but one he now held with his hand clinched tightly around the ring in his palm. "What is this?" he muttered his gaze shifted about the room she sat in. She was Victoria La Finnier but not the one he remembered.

She sat across from a man dressed oddly in a three piece worsted suit with pin stripping, a monocle around his neck and his barrel chested form sipping lightly from a claret cup. The voices were muffled and he moved his hand to try and bring the images around her and the voices into hearing range.

"Tell me my dear Miss La Finnier, what do you remember." The tone of his voice and inflections did not reflect the time he lived in and the look and feel of the house was different. There were oddities of which he had never beheld. "What sorcery is this." His voice was soft he watched the room and studied its occupants. He strained to hear the conversation,

The tone of her voice was different and her manner was one of docility and innocence, she may have looked somewhat like the woman he had met but she was not that woman. That was the woman he wanted, not this pale replacement of what he had seen.

"Show me, show me the one I met." He demanded from the mirror and it shifted again and the image of a fair beauty strolling hand in hand along the wild coastline of an untamed land appeared and his mind filled with lust and desire he watched her smile, her eyes light up and her manner open filled with laughter and the light of love in her eyes. Drawing his fingers together, he pulled them back so the image around her expanded and once again rage filled him with such an abundance of hatred that he roared. "NOOOO! Damn you Collins!" He watched she turned into his arms as they joined in a kiss of promise and passion.

Drawing his fist back he slammed it into the mirror smashing it into a thousand tiny shards and broken pieces. Then sighing he moved to a chair and sat. Sitting he slumped down, buried his fist to his chin and grew distant with his rage. Moving his hand he watched dispassionately the remnants from the mirror lifted and reformed back into one solid piece.

He sat there he began to formulate his plans. "I summon you Angelique Bouchard, I summon you Laura Murdock, I summon you Baithia Mapes all of you will come to me in form and spirit."

He stood in the center of his room, the center of a pentagram that had been drawn on the floor and he waited, as one by one in ethereal form the images of Laura Murdock, Angelique, and Baithia appeared. Their images transparent and shimmering awaited his command.

"You summoned us Master of Darkness?" Their words were spoken in unison as one while they waited his reason for bringing them to him.

"I did and I have a an assignment for you." He turned and looked to the mirror and moved his hand.

"I want to know who this woman is and where she is. You Angelique have a new assignment, when you meet Barnabas Collins you shall seduce him, make him love you and forget all others before you. You Laura you will find and seduce a Collins bare his son then sacrifice that son to me!" Turning to the old crone he spoke quickly, "You Baithia shall maintain your secrecy where you are and wait until I summon you again. Now go and fail me not!"

Watching their forms shimmer and fade he sat back and smiled; "Now we wait." He laughed as he thought about the plan he just put into motion and was very proud that soon he would own that woman body and soul.

He would obviously break his agreement with the Duke, pity that one seemed more pliable and easily broken. For him that would not have been much of a challenge he felt he would have soon enough ended her life to be out from under his obligation to her and her family. Now he had to make arrangements to sail to the colonies and before he arrived, he would have all his information he needed to accomplish his ambition.

Josette rushed into her father's arms, seeing the relief and joy that had washed over his face he saw his beloved daughter safe and sound with his sister once again. "Oh Poppa! It was horrible! I did not know where I was and the place was so strange, it was as if darkness had swept me up and put me where I did not wish to be!"

She cried softly into the warmth and security of those arms listening to him coo and calm her. "It is all right my dear, you are back and you are safe with us once again. You must not upset yourself we shall take you back to Martinique where I know you shall be safe and you can visit with your friend Victoria"

"Victoria? But Poppa she is here, Angelique?" She turned to look at her friend and maid. "Bring Victoria to us please." Angelique bobbed a curtsy turned and moved out of Josette's room.

"But darling she arrived while you were here. I made her welcome and she is there now along with Misère Barnabas Collins, they await your return." He looked totally confused by this newest turn of information.

"Poppa, Victoria has been here with me the whole time, how can you say it was her?" The door was thrust open and Angelique's eyes were wide with fright and confusion. "Angelique, where is Victoria?" Josette pulled away from her father and moved to her maid.

"She is gone Josette, her room is empty and no one in the house has seen her since you went missing!" Andre was beginning to grow concern he listened in earnest to what was being said. "This is all very confusing. First there was the disappearance of you and no one knowing where you were. Now Mademoiselle Victoria has disappeared and another showed up claiming to be her at our home. I would think some chicanery or bewitchment was being played out."

Angelique stood silent she listened and at the mention of bewitchment and grew uncomfortable. She had become even quiet as she continued to listen. "Well we shall return home and I shall confront this charlatan that claims to be Victoria La Finnier and demand to know what is going on." Andre was becoming increasingly more agitated as he thought about his home hosting an unknown or a possible witch. "Natalie, you will pack and join us on the voyage home we shall see to this fake as soon as possible."

Vicki strolled along the wild coast looking down to collect an interesting shell now and again. Her hair was tied securely with a ribbon. However, the wind was picking up and threatening to take her ribbon and unbind her hair. Feeling it was useless to hold her hair in place, she removed the ribbon and allowed the wind to blow her hair from her face and about her head.

The bite of the wind was an advent to the impending storm that had hung on the horizon for most the morning and now seemed to be coming to shore. Vicki paused to look at the wildness that this land represented with the wind, the surf and the land. It held such an uninviting feel that she was astonished that man would dare to try and tame it.

"You seemed to be very distant with your thoughts Victoria." Jeremiah Collins had watched her from the bluff overhanging the land below. She had seemed to be enjoying her stroll despite the fact the wind made her journey less agreeable and had threatened to take her ribbon.

Vicki spun around not expecting anyone to be with her on the beach and then seeing it was Jeremiah paused and smiled invitingly. "I was just thinking about my surroundings. How this land and the sea seemed to threaten the existence of any that wish to approach it. Then I think about how you and your family came here with the hope of finding a way to tame it."

He laughed, "Tame the land? We might scorch it with our blood and our wars but tame it? Can anyone truly tame land?" He fell into step next to her while they strolled along the beach, avoiding the rush of waves that wanted to beat and crash themselves against the shoreline with the advancing storm.

"I suppose if you farm you tame the land in one form, but here, in this place looking around at Widows Hill, and the sea for as far as the eye can peer, it just seemed so unfriendly and yet it also seemed to be somewhat seductive."

Joshua was enchanted, "Seductive, like a mistress for her lover?' He had to ask, she had said it and now he watched as she thought about his words and the affect it was having on that very bright mind of hers.

"Well perhaps that is a bit literal to some extent. I suppose it is more like a spell that is cast to bring you into its fold only to throw your broken body back to the beach." She had become maudlin in her attempt to change the subject from one that had been so personal.

"Now you depress me Mistress Victoria. I liked your first analogy, like a wicked lover enticing her amore to her in an embrace that would allow him to die in her arms." He smiled watching those eyes shift and change colors with all the emotions she was feeling at that moment.

"Now Mr. Collins, that makes you appeared to be very much the romantic. So would it be safe to say you are a romantic and long for the passions of your lifetime to be fulfilled in one embrace that could cost you your life?"

Jeremiah glanced from her then to the ocean and thought a moment then when he spoke his words had softened and he had turned back to peer deep into her eyes. "If that one moment in the arms of a passionate lover would grant me the love and security of that love, then I would gladly trade that one moment for my life. That would justify why I was born and lived."

Vicki was touched by the passion of his words, she returned his gaze never faltering her look then as she realized he was waiting for a response she smiled. "Would it not be better to have that love to experience over for a lifetime to come instead of one moment to burn out and loose what you had found because your body was no longer there to enjoy what you had felt?"

"If I were a very selfish man, which I imagine I would be if I were to find that perfect love that brought me fulfillment, I would wish to hold onto it. However, if I had but one night and nothing more then I would rather to have experienced it for that moment than to never experienced it at all."

It was then Vicki realized he was saying more with his intense gaze and words than what he was being spoken verbally. Flushing she realized he had meant her, he would give up his life for one moment of passion with her. She was immediately struck at how much like Burke he truly was and how much she had missed that part of him.

Lowering her gaze she grew timid. The moment that had become charged with sexual tension between them had been broken. Realizing his intentions had been realized he was embarrassed for her and his apology was quickly forth coming.

"I made you uncomfortable I am sorry. I apologize and hope you forgive me." He watched her hand lift to brush the hair from her face, reaching forward with a soft touch of his fingertips to her hand he pulled it to his lips. His words sincere his actions now bold, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.

Vicki at first stiffened to the touch of his body against hers and then relaxed, to her she was once again in Burke's arms being held and loved. The kiss was broken by a shout from above. The two separated and turned to the approach of Abigail Collins, 'WITCH! You play a dirty little game you whore of Satan!"

Vicki flushed deeply, as tears pricked her eyes and she turned to run from the screeching woman that was now descending down the hill with skirts billowing and eyes wild as she charged at the two. Jeremiah turned on his sister and blocked her advance towards Vicki as she retreated further away from the brother and sister.

"You think you can seduce the men of Collinwood and no one knows what or who you are? You filthy whore!" Vicki turn and ran from the scene being played out but now before she heard Jeremiah's voice grow hard and cold.

"ENOUGH ABIGAIL!" His words held no argument to them he held her arm and shook her, "Do not make me thrash you into your good senses dear sister, you would not enjoy the punishment!"

Abigail wailed, "Let me go, you are bewitched by the whore that stays here under the guise of purity and innocence, she is a witch I tell you a witch!" Vicki ran head long down the beach towards the pathway that would take her to the top of Widow's Hill she heard the loud smacking sound as an open palm met face. Turning she saw Jeremiah with his hand raised and his voice loud enough that the wind carried it to her on the pathway.

"Do not say it again Abigail or so help me the next time, I shall spank you!"

Vicki ran, with breaths that tore from her throat and came in ragged drawn bouts, she ran towards the one place she knew she would be safe, to the partially constructed Collinwood that stood awaiting completion on the hilltop. Running towards the newly constructed Porte Concher, she moved through the doors and into the house and looked around.

The stairs had been completed and the second story for this wing was now complete, the men were working on the West wing and she knew she could find security and safety in the one room that had become her haven. Dashing up the stairs she ran down the hallway towards the room that had been hers for the past four years. Opening the door she rushed into the room, and slammed the door shut, sliding a bolt across the door. Turning she was surprised to see the room had been furnished. A four-poster canopy bed, sat by the door just as it had in her time. Moving about the room she sighed.

Moving to the bed, she collapsed upon it lying back she closed her eyes. "What have I done?" She spoke softly to the empty room. She loved Barnabas, not this Barnabas but her Barnabas, and she loved Burke and now she was faced with two men that were the loves of her life. Rising she moved to the door and started to slid the bolt when she heard a shout from below. The men were yelling for someone to help. Moving to the door, and out of it, Vicki rushed to the area she knew was the west wing, moving into the now being constructed ballroom, she saw a man lying on the floor, his face blue and his body limp.

Rushing to his side, she stooped down to the floor, felt for a pulse and frowned, then lifting his chin she cleared his airway and heard him take a deep breath. Leaning over him she thumped his chest hard, then began to perform Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. Doing the compressions she had learned, she worked her depressions then breathed into his mouth. This she was not sure if it would work but prayed as she worked on him, her actions causing the other men to become curious and watch in wonder and shock. Finally she blew one more time into his mouth, she heard him draw a deep breath. Stopping she felt his neck and found his heart was beating again.

Ben Stokes opened his eyes with surprise and looked into the concerned filled gaze of the lady that bent over him. She smiled, "Do you feel like standing?' Her voice was filled with concern as she studied him.

"Yes Thankee ma'am I do think I am ready." She stood back and allowed his friends to help him up.

"That was amazing, how did you do it?' Gareth Maxwell was amazed at the feat she had just performed. Vicki stepped back and sighed.

"It is a simple procedure taught to me by a doctor." She spoke softly she watched them help the man with shaky legs move to the bench.

"He was dead, he just fell down and was dead and you brought him back." Gareth was growing afraid of Vicki after seeing a dead man rise.

Vicki shook her head, "He was not dead, he was not breathing but he was not dead. You breathe for them and they start to breathe again." Vicki had to be careful she was treading on thin ice for sure; if they suspected she was a witch she would be burned at the stake or hanged. She watched as they lifted their friend and carried him away from sight. Vicki turned to leave when she felt a hand clamp over her shoulder. Startled she turned and looked up into the concerned filled gaze of Jeremiah.

"Victoria you must come away with me quickly." He led her away from the others in the area around to the front of the house. "We have to hide you." Vicki's eyes widen in fear.

"Why?" Her heart was beating hard and fast, he was about to tell her the constable had been sent for and she was going to be arrested for witchcraft. It was all too familiar and terrifying.

"Abigail is convinced that you are a witch, she has sent for a witch hunter to come and test you. I am not going to allow anything to happen to you Victoria. So I am going to hide you for now."

"What about Barnabas?" She asked feeling so afraid and wanting this nightmare to be over.

Jeremiah led her to a carriage and helped her in. "He is waiting for us at the location I am going to hide you for now. I want this to end as quickly and painlessly as possible. I have sent for Joshua in Boston, he will be here in a week, once we get him here, he will get Abigail under control, but until then you are in terrible danger."

Vicki was close to tears, "I can't do this, I can not go through this again!" She gasped she wrapped her arms around her body and began to rock back and forth.

Jeremiah led the horses down the roadway to Eagle Hill Cemetery. "You will be safe here, Joshua used it for storage of gunpowder and arms during the war. No one but the Collins Family knows of this room."

Vicki sighed, "No, I know of the secret room in the mausoleum." She uttered softly, and watched Jeremiah tense when she revealed another fact about herself. "Jeremiah, I promise you I am no witch, I am caught between times. I have been here before and in the future. I know this all sounds too fantastic to be true, but it is true. I was born in the twentieth century and was somehow thrown back in time again, to this place. I knew your house so well because I lived in that house in the year 1968."

Jeremiah had kept quiet to allow her ramblings to fall on his alert ears and his mind was trying to not pre judge her for what she was confessing. "Victoria you know this type of talk makes it more of argument for Abigail to get you arrested for witch craft."

"Jeremiah as God is my witness, I am telling the truth. I know your house, I lived in your house and I was a governess for the current Collins family's son David Collins. I was thrust back in time for a reason and I am not sure what that reason is, but I know this much is certain, your Aunt did not like me when I was here before. She had a Reverend Trask an odious man come to test me and well it did not end well, but before I could be executed for witchcraft I was sent back to my time."

Jeremiah pulled the carriage to a stop at the entrance to the cemetery. "Here allow me to prove to you how I know what I know." She jumped down and walked towards the family mausoleum, entered the Iron Gate, walked to the lion's head and pulled the ring.

Jeremiah watched her amazed. She watched the door open and she moved into the room where Barnabas stood awaiting them. The room had been made comfortable with a cot, table and some candles. "We will keep you safe Victoria. Once you are done with what you have come to do, perhaps you will be allowed to return to your time."

Jeremiah looked with concern to his nephew. "You know about this story she has told?"

"Yes, and I believe her, she knows too much about our lives to just be a witch Jeremiah and she is engaged to my great, great grandson in the future. I have no choice but to believe and protect her."

Jeremiah was remembering the connection of that kiss earlier and how much he wanted to hold onto her and keep her safe from harm. "I trust you Barnabas. Abigail must be gotten under control and we must protect our Victoria."

Barnabas had noticed that Jeremiah had called her 'our' Victoria. "Yes, we must. One of us shall come to check on you each day my dear and as soon as it is safe we shall spirit you away form here to a more comfortable surrounding until we can get father home and get Aunt Abigail directed from her zealous pursuit of persecuting you."

Vicki watched them close the door on her in that room and she slumped to the cot, lay down and closed her eyes. "Whom ever is responsible for me being here, please let it end soon. I am so afraid." Closing her eyes she slipped into a sleep and felt her world shift. Opening her eyes she sat up startled and screamed. She was in the dark and could not see anything. Had she died? Was she now in that place the place you went to after you died? Had she found her life after death? Her fear was intense she sat up in bed and screamed again.

The lights came on, and in the door way was the most amazing and startled sigh she had perceived this day. "BARNABAS!" She cried grateful watching him rush to her side and then gathered her in his arms and held her close.

"You have made it home! You are back again, safe and secure." His words drove home her feelings as she clung to him and wept.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The daylight broke over the horizon and the storm clouds cleared the light of day made its way across the front lawn of the old house. Vicki held onto Barnabas tightly, her head resting against his shoulder. Opening her eyes she sighed deeply. "I was with your grandfather and uncle. When I first awoke, I was in Martinique at the DuPres Plantation."

Barnabas tried to push her back and felt her resistance. "I am here my love. I just need you to relax. You are safe and home." Vicki clung to him her body trembled at his touch and her mind reeled, what had she done to finally be allowed back.

Elliott Stokes moved into the room, he stood at the door with a look of guilt edging his gaze he watched the two together. "I fear I have a confession to make my dear. I knew you would be going back, there was nothing I could do to prevent the time wraith from taking you. You see my very life was at stake this time and I needed you to go back in time to save my great grandfather Ben Stokes." Elliott moved to the foot of the bed as he spoke. His apologetic tone gave Vicki pause in her thoughts.

Vicki looked shocked and felt a dawning of why she had been sent back. She exclaimed softly, "That was your grandfather that I saved from the heart attack?"

Elliott nodded. "Yes, you see, I had a vision the other night. One that was quite unsettling to me, and my life was being diminished with each passing day that this went unattended."

"Professor, I am so sorry. I did not realize how utterly devastating that this must have been for you. I was in the right place at the right time when I heard the shouts for help in the rear of the estate. I went and found this man lying unresponsive on the ground and knew I needed to do CPR, he came around but unfortunately that was the catalyst that brought me under suspicion as a witch."

Barnabas sat quietly listening to the conversation feeling disjointed. He had remembered his time with her this time. He had a clear impression of her in his life as Victoria La Finnier the confused young woman that had claimed to be from the future. He also remembered what had happened after he had discovered another young woman in her place when he went to the mausoleum.

Things had not ended well for the real Victoria La Finnier; Jubbah Zachary had arrived on the scene with her father in tow demanding her return. He even was forced to witness her marriage to the oaf. They had disappeared back to Martinique and he learned later she had died in childbirth, though he had suspected Jubbah had murdered her.

He had remembered when Jubbah had arrived and the look on his face when he had demanded to see Victoria. Barnabas was actually glad to see him and to turn the vaporous young woman over to him. He had been shocked to see it was Victoria La Finnier and not Victoria Winters in her place.

Barnabas secretly held his thoughts that he was glad she had escaped and hopefully had returned to the future. At that time it was with the thoughts she would marry his great, great grandson. All of that would fade from his memory as time passed and his interests graduated to Josette.

Barnabas released his hold from Victoria and moved to the settee to allow the Professor and Vicki to talk, his thoughts now caught up with the paradox this trip back in time had created for him. A part of him sensed that this trip was not over and that a repercussion of her time in the past along with the chance meeting with Jubbah was not going to turn out well for them all.

Barnabas stood and moved to the doorway, he needed to get out of the sunlight and to his room. He allowed Vicki and Elliott to continue their conversation while he quietly made his way down the hallway.

Julia followed behind the director of the facility; he explained the process of cryogenic to her and Eric. "So it is more than just the preservation of the mind and the body?" Julia asked she studied the large tubes that would hold and literally freeze a human body to preserve it for the future.

"Yes, it is believed as time passes and advances in medicine are made that such things that have decayed the body and its process can be frozen and once the discovery of the cure to that particular disease is discovered then the body can be brought back and the body treated to allow the recipient to continue on with a quality of life."

Eric listened intently and wanted very much to get a look at their lab. The tour would it seem to be coming to an end, Eric paused and smiled. Eric made his request to view their lab. The director was genial enough to allow him access to the clean room to view the lab though the Plexiglas windows.

Eric studiously looked through the windows and smiled, what he was witnessing was history making and he had planned to be a part of that history but from a different perspective. When the tour ended he turned to Julia and nodded. Thanking the director of the company he was surprised to receive an offer.

"If you ever consider wanting in on this business Doctor Lang, I understand you are very advanced in your way of thinking and we would welcome you into our facility and family. You too Doctor Hoffman you both are not without merit and we would be honored to have you both join us."

Both doctors left the complex with a lot to think about. "Can you replicate what you saw to make it useful for our purpose?" Julia ask settling back against the comfort of the car seat and studied the passing scenery, her mind whirling with all she had seen and experienced that day.

"Oh very easily, it would be a matter of acquiring the right components but it would work out perfectly for preservation of the body parts especially the brain, which is what we are missing. I know that the brain dies in several minutes after the body ceases to exist, the problem will come in reanimating the brain back to the present and the best way to do that is to preserve the brain in one of those cylinders at the moment the body dies but the brain is still functioning."

Julia did not like the way this was going. "Eric you are not saying you plan to take a brain of someone that is still living to put in the head of that body?"

Eric navigated the roadway and headed the car towards the airport, bags packed, plane tickets in pocket, and the information he needed. "Julia, I am only proposing to preserve the memories of a body that is debilitated and to transplant that brain into a healthy body."

Julia sighed, he had a point and it was grisly and seemed to border on a violation of the Hippocratic oath they all had taken in medical school. She had to consider how this was any different than what the Cryogenic labs were doing. "I suppose it just seems creepy to think about putting a different brain in a different body."

"Julia my sweet, all progressive medical professionals dabbled in creepy. My dear all I need to do is find a person's whose body is no longer functional for them and allow them the choice to have a better body to awaken in." The thought still made Julia's skin want to crawl she let her mind go to what she had seen over the years, those suffering the pain and degradation of dying as their bodies still held on but would not afford them a quality of life they deserved. "You are very quiet my dear are you still troubled by what I propose to do?"

Julia shook her head. "I was just thinking of people like George Patterson's wife, dying of cancer, she can hardly breathe, her lungs are refusing to work but her body still manages to live on despite the incredible pain she must be suffering." Eric thought about what she was saying and had to admit if what he was about to do was a successful operation, and then people like Melanie would be allowed to live on, in a healthier body, and alive to enjoy the life they had hoped to have.

"I realize that a lot will think that I am trying to play god by doing this, but its for science and my love of science that I am pursuing this idea and this hope that I would love to offer people like Melanie Patterson."

Julia sighed and then smiled, "Who are we to judge what others think at this point Eric, I say we go ahead and we try to give a life back to Barnabas so he can feel free to ask Vicki to marry him."

Elizabeth Stoddard paced the room she had been assigned by Barnabas. She was tired but could not rest. Her baby was lost in the past and she was sick with worry for her child. This had been the worst possible thing that could have happened to her for the second time. It was bad enough that Carolyn had made her self absent with her attentions she was lavishing on Gregory Trask. Although she would not be opposed to her marriage to the polished attorney, she wanted Carolyn to want more than just to be 'a wife'. She had hoped she might go on to college and pick a career she could fall back on should something happen between her and Trask.

Hearing a soft knock on the door, she moved to open the door. "Elizabeth, Vicki has returned, she is with Professor Stokes and they are talking. I thought you might wish to go and see her." Barnabas stood outside the room and looked at the woman that so reminded him of his own mother.

Elizabeth gave a sigh of relief, "Then the time lock is broken and we can leave?"

"Yes, the time lock is broken and she has returned and the other young lady has left us. I myself am exhausted and will be retiring, you are more than welcome to stay and rest here if you wish."

Elizabeth still dressed in the gown that had been provided for her comfort nodded. "I believe I will retire myself after I see Vicki. She is unharmed?"

"She is exhausted and disoriented but not harmed from what I could see."

Liz moved past him into the hallway. "Thank you Barnabas, I appreciate all you have done for our Vicki, and I am sure so does she. I will see her then I believe like you I shall retire for the night."

Xavier Von Zwack the fourth sat behind his desk and read the report in front of him. Frowning he sat back and thought about what he had just read. This was not good and it would need to be dealt with and soon. Leaning forward he reached for his phone and began to dial.

The second the phone was lifted on the other end, Xavier spoke into the phone one phrase "Denbora assembl ." He hung up the phone and sat back. This had to be the mechanizations of Jubbah Zachary and it was not going to stand. He could very well bring down the whole organization with his obsessions.

Xavier lifted the three photos that had arrived with the report and studied them intently, one a very attractive lady with lovely green eyes, the other a tall distinguished man with intent blue eyes and a pen name of Grant Douglas, finally the other picture was of a man with sad brown eyes and a distinguished look to his over all bearing.

Sighing softly, he glanced up as the door to his spacious office opened and an attractive blond entered the room. "Ahh, Rosemary, come in and have a seat, we have several letters to send out. I need you to cancel all my appointments and make me a reservation on the next plane to the United States more particularly to Bangor, Maine." Bridging his fingertips together he began to dictate to his secretary the letters he needed to get out immediately, He did not want her to know exactly where he was going, that was for him to tell her at later date. Finishing up his business he watched as she left his office. Turning he stood and moved to a panel of bookcases.

Lifting one book he reached to the back and pulled the lever, the bookcases slid across to revel a secret room behind the books. Moving into the room, he paused in front of a map of the world that took up most the wall. Moving to a spot on the map he reached up and pushed a red headed pin into one city on that map, Collinsport, Maine.

Stepping back he moved to a row of shelves and withdrew three books from the shelf, turned and exited the room, securing the wall behind him. Packing the books in his briefcase he moved to his personal elevator and waited for it to arrive on his floor. This was about to become a bigger day than any of this group had expected and he had to react to this threat as quickly as possible. Stepping into the elevator he waited for it to take him to the rooftop where he had his private helicopter waiting on standby for him. Moving quickly to the pilot he nodded, got in, strapped his seatbelt, then set his briefcase on the floor.

The trip was quick and he was soon on the rooftop of his private mansion in the heart of the countryside with its beautiful panoramic views for miles around him. He had chosen this location because of its isolation to the outside world. He noted upon his landing that two of those that needed to be here had already arrived and would be inside waiting for him. Turning to the pilot he smiled, "I won't need you any more today Charles and if you wanted to take that vacation. Now would be the time, I shall be out of the country for a while." The pilot shook his hand and thanked him he turned to slide back into the pilot's seat of the helicopter.

Xavier stepped away from the helicopter and headed to the entrance door of his rooftop mansion, moving down the stairs he entered the rear section of the house. The two men that had awaited him in the room stood at his entrance. "What has you so upset Xavier? We got the message, Rosencrantz, and Berwick will be here shortly."

Xavier moved to his desk, laid his briefcase on its surface, opened it and pulled out the report he had received, handing it over to Chastain, he sat down and waited for them to look over the report. "Are you serious? I thought we only had to deal with one branch of these abominations and now you are telling me we have another one and a wolf as well?" Chastain handed the report over to Lawrence and sat down he thought about what he had just read.

"I am saying we are having issues that are about to blow up in our faces if we do not get Jubbah Zachary under control Chas, we cannot afford to have him going over there and creating problems."

"The reason for this breach?" Lawrence had skimmed over the report, looked up at the mention of Jubbah and frowned. "Is it his obsession with this fictional woman he imagined he met back then?" Xavier reached into the case and pulled out the three pictures that had been delivered with the report. They were surveillance photos by the way no one was posed and the subject had been unaware they were being photographed, pinned to each picture was a cropped and blow up picture of a head shot of their target.

"She exists, that is her." He handed the pictures over with Vicki's picture on top.

Lawrence whistled, "Are you sure she time traveled?" He was astonished that such a thing had been discovered and someone had actually done it.

"Yes, I am sure, she has not only done it once but now twice and that is how Jubbah met her, while she was in the past correcting something that had gone wrong for our associate in the future."

"Stokes?" Chastain ask looking up from the pictures.

"Yes, Elliott had a problem from something that happened in the past indirectly due to but prior to her first trip back. She has been transported back at least twice and the problem we have is not just that, but she is engaged to be married to that gentleman there, which if our intelligence is correct is the original Barnabas Collins, cursed by Angelique Bouchard and bitten by Peter Bradford and is walking this earth as a vampire."

Both men studied the picture of Vicki then Barnabas. "The other man?"

Xavier looked out the window and saw two more cars moving up the long driveway under a cover of trees that lined either side of the roadway. "Our other guests are arriving. " he stated absently he turned from the window back to peer at the picture they now held on top of the others.

"That gentleman is Quentin Collins, cursed by a gypsy to be a werewolf. The difference is he escaped actually turning into a wolf due to his encounter with Count Petoffi, who had Charles Delaware Tate paint an enchanted picture of Quentin Collins to absorb the curse. We believe that Petoffi did this to gain control over Quentin's body and use it as his new body."

The door opened to admit two men identically dressed as the other two men that sat in the room. They moved towards Xavier and stopped. "What is the crisis?" That was Rosencrantz.

"Jubbah Zachary is about to blow this whole operation." Chastain said he handed the pictures to the two new arrivals. "He has found his mysterious woman from the past and is going to challenge a vampire and werewolf for her."

The two men looked at the pictures and then to their contemporaries and waited. "What do we do now?" Xavier stood looking down at the top of his desk. "We go to Maine, and stop him." The four men nodded in agreement, stood straightening their ties and smoothing their three-piece dark suits down.

"When do we leave?" Berwick asked turning to follow the others out of the room.

"In three hours, go pack and meet me at the hanger, we will fly out then." Xavier moved out of the room and headed towards the grand staircase and disappeared from sight.

"Damnit, why can't Jubbah co-operate?" Lawrence hissed he moved out of the house. Chastain sighed deeply and followed him.

"Because he thinks he can command the darkness, when the darkness commands him. Before this is over we are going to have to send his unrepentant soul to hell." Chastain slid in behind the wheel of his Mercedes Benz his thoughts were on getting to Maine settling this situation and getting back home before his wife had too many questions.

Vicki slipped under the blankets of the bed, and closed her eyes. She was home but her dreams were filled with confusion and odd dreams. She was in Martinique again, and there was the disagreeable Jubbah and he was chasing her along the beach on his horse. Terror filled her with each step she took running from him, she knew the horse would catch up with her before she could get away and it did. Jubbah was reaching for her to pull her on to his horse's back.

Then the dream changed and this time she was in a long hallway with white shear curtains blowing in her face and around her body trying to entrap her into its sheerness and hold her captive. She struggled against the curtains that appeared to be directed to hold her captive. She struggled against their cloyingness they took on a life of their own and appeared to enshroud her body.

She struggled against the curtains in the hallway she could see a dark tall figure at the end of the hallway moving towards her laughing, the laughter was low deep and held no amusement to it. The laughter was one of triumph at being able to hold her.

Then the dream shifted and changed again. This time she was standing at the top of the stairs to the basement of the old house. She moved down the stairs and stopped in her tracks. There on a pedestal was a coffin, what was a coffin doing in the basement of the old house? With trepidation she moved to the coffin and paused, the lid was opening and a hand held the lid open. On that hand was a familiar looking ring. She paled and waited not realizing she was holding her breath then she saw Barnabas sit up in the coffin and looked around.

Seeing her he smiled and got out of the coffin and began to advance on her, she started to scream but found the sound was frozen in the back of her throat. She wanted to run but he was advancing on her and had backed her into the wall. She could feel the bite of the concrete into her back he put his hand to the side of her head, "Look into my eyes Victoria." He commanded in a voice she did not recognize. "Look into my eyes NOW Victoria."

She could not look away and saw his eyes glow with a coldness and a blue glint that held her mesmerized and frozen in her spot. Then he opened his mouth and she saw the teeth. Turning her head away she felt his mouth on her throat and the pain of the bite he sunk his teeth into her neck. She screamed and it was a loud hysterical scream that echoed through out the whole house and brought the running feet of Quentin, Daphne, Elizabeth, and Professor Stokes to her room.

Quentin pushed open the door, and entered. Following him were the others and they all stopped in the spot and looked on in horror as they saw Vicki lying on the bed, her throat bleeding and her breath labored. "Oh dear God! What is going on!" Elizabeth moved to her side and pressed her hand against the open wound on her neck. Daphne followed behind her to look for something to press to her neck.

"We have to get her to the hospital right away, the curated artery has been torn, if we don't she could bleed out!"

"Elizabeth whatever you do, do not let go of that wound!" Quentin cautioned he gently lifted Vicki from the bed and carried her with Elizabeth holding on feeling her daughter's blood seeping through her fingers. Daphne covered Elizabeth's hand with hers and they moved to the stairs and out to the car, Quentin made them as comfortable as possible and drove to the emergency room. Arriving he was dreading that she had died while in the backseat of his car. The orderlies were quick to rush her to the trauma bay. Liz, Daphne, Quentin all stood covered in blood in the lobby. Quentin was upset and worried, had Barnabas attacked the woman he loved so savagely? He could not believe that was the case and felt his stomach knot while they waited for word of how she was doing.

The doctor moved from the trauma bay to the waiting room. "We have the arty repaired, she has lost a great deal of blood and she died on us three times while on the table. Her heart had to be restarted."

Liz began to cry softly listening to the ordeal; her darling daughter had endured and she was frightened. "Please if she needs blood take mine."

Quentin chimed in, "And mine, we need to keep her alive and safe Doctor and money is no object we just want her alive and safe."

The doctor turned to his nurse. "They wish to donate blood for Miss Winters, see to it please, while I get her situated in Intensive Care Unit." He nodded to them and turned to move out of sight.

Quentin looked around and then waited for them to call him back to take his blood. He sat there he looked up to see a familiar sight walk through the door. "Eric! Thank god you and Julia are back! Vicki was attacked and she nearly died."

Eric moved quickly to Quentin's side, "Where is she?"

"Intensive Care. I am so glad you and Julia are back, I am not sure if Barnabas did this or not but her throat was nearly torn out and the doctor said she died twice and they had to bring her back."

Eric turned as Julia entered the waiting room; she had heard only a portion of what had been said. "Then its time Eric, if he is showing resistance to the serum we are going to have to take the next step."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Time was no longer hers to watch, wait, live, or know. All she knew was pain. It was the pain of movement, the pain of breathing, and the pain of living. She wanted to give up to give into the darkness that called out to her and allow the pain to go. Then realization set in and awareness was a part of her life again, there were the gentle touches, the tears of anguish, hope, and encouragement. Finally, there was an opening, a sliver of light that was more than a beckoning call to move on.

From the depths of her pain she had heard or thought she had heard confessions. The first part of that awareness was from a voice that had always filled her with a sense of belonging and love. The confession had been from the heart. "I did not know what to do. I was so young, and then you were there growing in me every day I had to wrestle with the thought of what to do with you. How could I bring this shame to our family? Father would have been furious and I do not know what he might have done."

There was a catch in her voice and she was speaking again, it was from so far away. The voice was still confession. "I had to protect you and the only way I knew to do that was to give you up. Would you have fit into this life? Would you have been accepted? The shame would have been a black mark upon both of us. Then I had the chance to bring you home. Home where you belonged to a family that would accept and love you for who you were."

She shifted in her dream like state to the next confession. "I resented you. I did not want you in our lives. You were an outsider not entitled to share our home and then you were Vicki, the stable, even tempered logical Vicki that spoke as a voice of reason to me about my son. You made me see him as my son and made me realize how much we loved him."

The next confession had been said with softness and a feeling of loss. "You were the one everyone thought was more interesting than me. You had it all and you had nothing and I had everything and then I had nothing. I was so jealous and I did not want to be jealous. I wanted to be a friend but I did not know how to be friends and you taught me what friendship was. You were like the big sister I had always hoped to have. You were also my friend. Oh Vicki you must pull through this, you must come back to us and be a part of our family again. You can't give up."

Then there was his voice, so calm and filled with sadness, "How can I let you go? I just found you and you have completed me. We have faced so much together. Now that you have come back to me, you have to fight to live my love. You have to come back to me and let us complete our life's journey together."

She had felt the press of his lips to her hand, the soft hair that lay against her arm when he laid his head on the side of the bed and on her hand. She felt her hand soaked with the tears falling from his eyes to land on her hand and arm. "I have lost so much, I can't loose you. I need you Vicki, I need you in my life." His words had faded to a deafening silence that only allowed the white noise of the surroundings to lie between them. Reality was becoming more prevalent in her surroundings she opened her eyes she looked up at the ceiling, there was something rude and protrusive in her throat and she wanted to speak but found it difficult. An alarm went off and the person that had taken vigil in the chair next to her bed sprang up to see she was awake.

Elizabeth Stoddard rushed to the door to meet the nurse that was running into the room. "She is awake! She is awake, get the doctor."

The nurse nodded went to the bedside and smiled seeing Vicki struggling with the vent that was helping her breathe. "Wait a moment dear, let me take it out, relax and let me take out your vent."

The obstruction was removed and she was able to speak but her throat felt raw and it hurt. "Easy, a little water, small sips." The nurse was a kind faced middle-aged woman with greying at the temples. Turning she looked to the great lady she knew as the matriarch of Collinwood. "Mrs. Stoddard why don't you help her take small sips this while I go get Dr. Lang and Dr. Hoffman."

Liz moved back to the bedside looking down she took the glass and held the straw for Vicki to drink from she tried to swallow and winced. "Hurt," she said hoarsely, not even recognizing her own voice. She watched the worry in Liz's eyes as she looked away from her bandaged throat to her eyes.

"We know darling, we know it hurts and soon, you will come home to our house and to us and we will help you forget the hurt. We all have been so terribly worried about you." Vicki was trying hard to process what was being said.

"What happened." The words were few but they were questions that needed an answer. She tried to lift her hand to her throat and feel the heavy bandages that encased her neck.

"Something attacked you, but we got to you in time and we were able to prevent it from harming you further."

"How long?" She felt a tickle and wanted to cough but to do so would have been too painful so she swallowed to keep the cough down and the pain away.

"Two weeks darling, you were near death so many times that we were not sure you were going to come back to us." Liz put the glass down, and then turned to stroke her hair from her forehead. For the time she had laid there her hair had grown oily and lackluster from the drugs and the lack of attention to her general hygiene.

"We are going to get you a bath dear, and your hair washed, then we are going to bring you home so we can take care of you there while you recuperate." Liz was making her plans she continued to stroke Vicki's hair from her face.

Julia entered the room first; moving to Vicki's side she looked down at the bandages. Adjusting them, Julia turned to the clipboard at the end of the bed and looked at the notes that the staff had made. Eric entered the room standing behind Julia he read the notes over her shoulder. "Well we have life signs, you are back with us and we are certainly happy about that."

Eric moved to check her bandages, sliding them aside to look at the healing wound at her neck. "You had a very close call my dear, but from the looks of things. You are healing very nicely. We should be able to take you home tomorrow. We will get everything set up so that you can rest comfortably in your own room."

Vicki was too tired to care about anything but needing to rest. "Barnabas?" she asked through her croaky voice cracking.

"He will be by later, we called to tell him you were awake and he is very relieved that you are awake and now recovering. He was by your side every day you were out, we had to force him to go home." Julia spoke as she continued to read over the notes and looked at the lab reports.

"Well we will leave you to rest, and we want you to take it easy. Then tomorrow we will get you ready to go home."

"Home." She said the word with a gravely tone. "Home, yes home." She could feel the prick of tears behind her eyelids.

Liz sat down next to the bed. "Rest Vicki darling. We will be home soon."

The next day true to their word of Eric and Julia, she was released to the care of the Collins family. Elizabeth had an ambulance transport her back to Collinwood and carry her up to her room. Carolyn was standing by to fluff pillows and cover her with a blanket. "I don't know who is having the worse year so far, you or Maggie."

Carolyn chattered on making light conversation about what all had been happening since her hospitalization. David stood in the doorway his features filled with worry and concern over how pale she looked. "I was so scared for you Vicki, Josette said you died twice and were brought back. Sarah sat by your side when no one else was there."

Carolyn rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. "David, we need to let her rest. If you promise to be quiet, you can come in and sit in the chair and maybe read a book."

David dutifully moved into the room and sat in the chair, dragging the book he had been holding into his lap. "I promise and if you need anything Vicki, just ask. Daphne is going to be in the room next to yours and she will be taking care of you and she said I could help." The transfer to home had been draining on her energy and Vicki found she wanted to sleep and forget about how much pain she felt when she swallowed.

She slept and as she slept she felt she was once again back in Martinique. This time she walked along the white sandy shores, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face and the wash of the water over her feet as she walked barefoot in the surf.

Overhead the sound of the seagulls cried out one dove into the surf and came up with a fish in its beak, taking off, other birds seeking a bite of his catch pursued him. Vicki watched as they did their daring little dance in the cross winds, then heard the voice behind her. "You think you can escape me? You think you have that right to go away from me and think I would not come to find you?'

Vicki spun around and saw him Jubbah Zachary towering over her. "Did you not learn your lesson from before? I nearly killed you to get your attention. Why do you think you have the right to escape me and who you are to me Victoria La Finnier."

Vicki stepped back and frowned, "I am not Victoria La Finnier, you are mistaken sir. I owe you nothing and you will leave me alone!"

He grabbed her close and pulled her hair tipping head back and exposing her neck. She watched in horror as he bared his fangs and lowered his lips to her throat. "You belong to me."

Vicki jerked herself awake. Reaching for her throat she gasped and choked struggling against what that dream just showed her. An undead thing that wanted to possess her had attacked her.

David sat up dropping his book to the floor, standing he moved to Vicki's side; lying comforting hands on her shoulder. "Vicki?" He looked into her dull lack luster eyes. "Vicki wake up, you are having a bad nightmare. It is ok, I am here with you."

Vicki's vision cleared and she reached forward and held onto David. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear she held onto him for comfort and security.

Daphne entered the room. Her concern was immediate she watched Vicki clinging to David. "She had a bad dream, and woke up afraid, so I came over to help her." Daphne moved to Vicki's side; sitting on her bed, she gently reached for her wrist to take her pulse and look at her respirations. Noting they were rapid and thready, she moved to the side table that held the medicines needed to see to Vicki's recovery, finding the vial needed, she moved to the doctor's bag and pulled out a syringe.

Moving back to Vicki's side; Daphne then injected Vicki with the serum. "David, you can go onto your room. I am here to take care of Vicki now and we appreciate all you have done." David looked from Vicki to Daphne. Turning he retrieved his book and stomped from the room.

"Now then, lets see about cleaning you up some and helping you feel a bit better before your special guest comes." Hair washed, bathed and feeling clean and one hundred percent better than she had Vicki sat up in her bed and watched the sky when the sun began it's descent and the moon began to rise to replace it.

Barnabas stood in the foyer removing his coat and laying his cane on the table. Eric Lang along with Julia sat in the drawing room discussing their day in the hospital. Looking up to see Barnabas, Julia smiled a welcome. "Barnabas hello, good to see you made it over. How did you tolerate your time in the sunlight today?"

Barnabas moved into the room and looked around to make sure no others were around. "I did very well, but my concerns were for how long I could stay in the sun without being affected by the adverse reactions that always seemed to occur.

"We are progressing on a more permanent resolution, we just need a good candidate before we take the next step." Eric was very clinical in his explanation.

"I see, I of course am now concerned for Vicki, how is she doing?" He knew they thought he had been the one to attack her that night. He was grateful that Willie had been his witness to being in his coffin when the attack occurred and he had concluded there was another vampire in the area. He wanted very much to find this animal and destroy him, so he could not harm Vicki again. He knew as long as he was out there she was at risk, but tonight he was going to change all of that once he was with Vicki.

"The serum, will it continue to allow me to be in sunlight for short periods of time, and not affect my other abilities?"

"It should allow you some protection from the sunlight for very short periods of time. It will not affect the powers you have now. However, the next phase of this transfer, will affect your powers and very well may make you human again." Eric had been thinking about the properties of his experiment when he spoke hypothetically about the transference of life force from one infected individual to a lifeless one.

"Well we shall discuss this further at the old house, now if you will excuse me, I want to see Vicki. I heard she had a rough time coming home and was exhausted." He nodded to the two on the sofa and turned to head up the stairs to Vicki's room.

Vicki looked to the door expectantly almost feeling him close, he entered her room, her face lit up with the light of the love she felt for this man and her heart was full of love for him. Her voice was hoarse and cracked as she spoke softly, "Barnabas, my darling, darling Barnabas."

He moved to her side and sat on the edge of her bed, peering into her eyes expectantly he smiled, "Victoria, my darling Victoria, you are home." He leaned over placing a light kiss on her lips.

"Look into my eyes Victoria, look deep into my eyes." He held her gaze and felt her will turn to his will. "Close your eyes my sweet, and sleep." He watched her eyes close and her breaths come slow with sleep. Barnabas stood, moved to the door, closed it and then returned to the bed. Taking her wrist he bit into it, and drank a little of her blood. Biting into his own wrist he pressed the two together, mingling their blood into each other, then pressing his bleeding wrist to her lips he whispered, "Drink."

Vicki opened her fixed and lack luster eyes to lift his wrist to her lips and began to drink from him. He felt his blood flow into her he watched the color of her skin turn to a healthier shade of pink, gently with his free hand he removed the bandage from her neck and looked at her throat, The scaring and the damage that had been done to her throat were slowly disappearing. He removed his wrist from her lips, covered her throat, and sat back. "Open your eyes Vicki." He watched as her lashes fluttered from the sleep-induced thrall he had placed her under and reality was returning to her.

When her surroundings became more apparent to her, Vicki smiled looking into the loving gaze of the man she knew she loved. "I am so glad you came to see me. I have missed you my love." Her voice was taking on a more normal sound to it from the healing properties of his blood filled her system, giving him complete control over her mind and body.

"You are mine now and forever Victoria, no one or nothing can take you from me from this point forward." She went into his arms and held him tightly.

"I wish to belong to no other than you my love." Her words were soft and filled with the love she felt for him. He sat back; taking her hand in his.

"I thought I had lost you forever when they found you nearly bled to death. I did not want to go on without you in my life Victoria. I have discovered that I love you completely and need you to take this next part of the journey with me."

"I will always be with you my love, and would gladly walk any journey you chose to walk with you." She curled her fingers into his as she continued to look at him with eyes that were now filled with the rawness of the thrall he had cast on her.

"We have shared blood, should anything happen to you, and you were to die, Victoria, you will not truly die, you will live again as I am." Barnabas felt a great deal of regret but he was left with no choice.

"I would not wish to live unless it was as you wished me to be my love. I am yours now and forever." She had spoken with her heart. Her gaze was caught in his and held.

Elliott Stokes stood by the desk in his library. He was carefully going over the journals kept by his great, great, grandfather from 1794. He re-read the journal. Picking up the book, he moved to the desk and sat down. Putting the book in front of him, he began to read the area that had caught his attention. "She did it, when she saved his life, she saved mine."

Hallie Stokes stood in the kitchen watching the hot chocolate she was making for her and her uncle. From outside the window a set of feral eyes studied the pretty blond girl standing in front of the stove. It was with a snarl and low growl; the huge wolf threw itself at the window, breaking it. Hallie screamed when the animal crashed into the room. Then squared off against her. Hallie felt herself pinned against the stove, reaching behind her she felt for the pan of boiling chocolate, when the wolf launched itself at her, she whipped the pan around and threw the boiling liquid into the wolf's face.

The hot searing pain was immediate and blinded the charging animal. A howl of pain and a squeal from the liquid burning into his skin and eyes, blinded the animal long enough for Hallie to escape. With quick thinking Hallie took the opportunity to run towards the door and through it to lock it behind her.

"UNCLE ELLIOTT!" She screamed she ran headlong towards her Uncle's library.

Elliott heard his niece scream; jumped up from his desk and began running towards the sound of the scuffle. Entering the common room of his home, he saw Hallie backing away from the door that led to the kitchen. "Hallie?"

"A large wolf just jumped through the window of the kitchen. I was fixing some hot chocolate and threw the boiling liquid in its face." She backed up behind her uncle as her eyes stayed transfixed to the locked door.

Elliot used his body to protect her from anything that might try to breach the locked door. "Stay behind me my dear, and let us move slowly to the phone."

Elliott was able to successfully contact the authorities. Both Uncle and niece continued to watch the door waiting to see if the large creature would break though the door. When nothing had happened, Elliott put Hallie by the front door and then he cautiously moved to the door and laid his ear to the door. 'Silence' met his ears as he listened.

Hallie watching anxiously jumped when a rapid knock sounded behind her. Opening the door, she saw the anxious look of a police officer he awaited entry into the house. Elliott stepped back when the officer withdrew his weapon.

"Stand back, and be prepared to run should that thing decide to charge us. This is the second time tonight I had to deal with this thing. It attacked a young woman in her bed nearly ripped her throat out." The young officer had been very affected by that sight and it showed with his slightly trembling hand moving to open the door with one and used his gun to aim with the other.

Throwing open the door, his eyes roamed over the over turned chairs and table, the pot laying on the floor and some blood on the floor. "Looks like it went out the window it broke out. You might should want and get that secured for the night Professor. Looks like its gone for now, the kitchen is a mess."

Elliott thanked him for his assistance and saw him to the door. Moving back he made sure that Hallie was calm and sent her off to bed, then he moved to the phone and called Collinwood.

Quentin was passing the hallway phone when it rang. He picked up the phone answering crisply. "Hello, Quentin Collins speaking."

"Quentin dear boy, glad you were there. This is Stokes, could you please come to my home immediately? I fear we have had some unpleasant business here and I require your assistance."

"What is going on Professor?" Quentin looked up as Eric and Julia joined him in the hallway.

"A rather large wolf tried to attack my niece tonight and from what the authorities say, it did attack a young lady and nearly ripped her throat out. Does that sound familiar to you?"

"Dear God, Elliott, is Hallie all right?'

"She is shaken up, but I fear I have a window busted out and need your help securing it for the night, would you please come. I really think this bears us looking into. This very well may be what attacked Vicki that night." Eric turned to Julia hearing the seriousness of the conversation Quentin was having. Julia was also concerned; they both had heard him say Professor so they assumed it was Stokes on the other end of the phone.

"You really think this thing was here and is what attacked Vicki?"

"With what they police officer said tonight and how Hallie said the thing charged at her, I am thinking it is exactly what very well may have attacked Vicki that night."

"I am on my way with Eric and Julia, we will be there in about forty minutes, will you be safe until we get there?"

"Yes, we are safe for now. I just need to secure the window and we need to discuss this new situation that appears to be a problem for all of us."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Eric sat at the bedside of Tommy Marshall. Tommy was dying. His body was giving out on him and his mind did not want to comprehend that at the age of twenty-seven he would not live to get married, to see his children born, or that he would become a grandfather. All he had was this debilitating disease that was taking his life from him day by day. "Have you considered cryogenics Tom? It would preserve your brain and maybe someday in the future, you could have your brain placed in another body and live on."

"Is that even possible?" Tom was considering the words Dr. Lang had just spoken.

"Oh yes, it is very possible, why there are advancements even now that would allow your brain to continue in a cryogenically frozen state until at a later day you could be awaken and live again. That way you don't die, you go on, just not in a body that held you back as this one is doing."

"How would I go about signing up for this program? I am not a rich man Doctor Lang, I have a little left over from my retirement from the factory but nothing to brag about."

Eric smiled, "Well if you are truly interested you may deal directly with me and I will see your mind is preserved in a stronger body forever."

Tommy felt he was being offered a million dollars in a lottery. "Then I guess Doc, sign me up." Eric was elated he had his brain to preserve.

"I will begin your preparation immediately. All you need to do is relax and allow me to help you Tommy." He was so excited that he was about to have his body complete with a fresh brain that his eyes practically glowed with his excitement.

Eric had Tommy transferred to his clinic, located next door to his private home. He had Tommy was settled into a room; Eric began his plans, preparing the serum that would paralyze the body and one to preserve the brain before cryogenically freezing it. He had to prepare both the body and the brain. Julia frowned as she studied her notes from the last time she had checked on Vicki, her blood work, urine, and x-rays were showing a normal healthy young woman with no problems for what she had been hospitalized. "Eric, you busy?" She called from the lab to his office as she continued to study the reports laid out on her desk.

"I am here Julia, what do you need?" His tone was playful he moved next to her side.

"Look at these labs and this report and tell me what you think." She handed the clipboard over to her fiancé.

Eric began to study the reports and the labs and nodded, "Looks like she is doing some rapid healing. Do we know why?" Eric handed the clipboard back to her and took his glassed off.

"I would say that Barnabas fed her some of his blood, to help her heal faster." Julia sighed, "I will know more when I draw blood and examine it under a microscope."

Eric shook his head. "Julia, he felt he had to do it to get her better, we should not pursue this and allow him to do what he can to protect the one he loves."

"You don't understand if he fed her his blood, he did it to prepare her to bring her over to what he is. He is loosing faith in both of us." Julia was very upset and Eric was very receptive to her feelings.

"Then we shall further my project along so he won't have that ability." Eric stepped away from Julia. "Are you going to assist me in removing the brain?"

Julia held Thomas' hand as the anesthetics took affect. For a moment she felt a hesitation wondering if whether or not they were doing the right thing. Then she recalled how he had told her he was ready to face whatever, that it would be better than what he was facing at this time. Realistically she knew he wanted this and the laws should not force him to be tortured by his own body. It was with a look of peace and resolution that he closed his eyes and let his life go. Moving quickly, with the precision of an expert surgeon Eric removed the brain, placing it in the cryogenic container. The procedure was done and now it was a matter of preparing the body to receive the brain.

Jubbah paced the basement of his rented home on Seagull Lane. His power had been interrupted and he was furious. He had her, he had her blood and his control over her was assured until he took charge. Anger raged within his dark soul he continued to pace and think. He needed to get rid of Barnabas Collins, he needed to destroy the Collins family and end their existence forever. From above he heard footsteps and that angered him. Who would dare enter his home and violate the inner sanctum that was his alone?

Charging up the stairs, he threw open the door so forcefully it knocked it askew from its hinges. His gaze swept the room then his whole body slumped. Xavier moved further into the room and stood flanked on each side by the board of the Illuminati. "You know why we have come Jubbah! Prepare yourself to leave." Jubbah body began to shift and reform, as it did, Berwick stepped forward and sprayed the mist and froze it in place. When it fell Rosencrantz moved in with a net or a more common name for the contraption from the late sixteenth century man catcher; capturing the frozen form of Jubbah.

Using the man catcher, they shifted positions and turned sliding it into a lead lined box with engraved images of crosses. Placing the frozen particles in the box Chastain secured the box. "We have him contained for now. We do not know how many slaves he has made here, so we must guard against him summoning them to his side."

Xavier was sorely put out with Jubbah he walked further into the house by the sea. "I suggest gentlemen we try and find how much damage has been done and start damage control."

Rosencrantz moved to the drawing room looked around then sat on the settee. "I suggest first things first. We get settle, look up our associate Elliott Stokes, then we begin our study of the three other players in this fiasco and then we find out how much damage has been done."

Xavier agreed he took a chair across from Rosencrantz. "We need to find out what has brought us all to the point in our association and whether or not we allow Jubbah to continue as a member of this organization."

Elliott stood in the doorway of his living room and kitchen. The compact area was in disarray, with the window boarded up, the table broken, with the two small chairs that now laid in pieces on the floor. Hallie was in tears as she looked around at the mess. "Oh Uncle Elliott this is such a mess." She began to lift the pieces of the broken chairs to throw in the large trashcan that stood at the rear door of the compact little cottage.

"Hallie, my dear child, I want you to go and pack your things. Mrs. Stoddard has invited us to stay at Collinwood until we can get the house back in order." He moved to hug her, his gaze moved over the room and his feelings were very much reflecting the same as Hallie's thoughts.

Quentin stepped into the living room looking around for the Professor. Hearing the voices in the kitchen Quentin moved to the door and stopped. "Hey did I hear someone needed a ride to Collinwood?"

Elliott let Hallie go he pivoted on his the balls of his feet to welcome Quentin. "Dear boy! Welcome to our mess." Extending his hand to shake Quentin's hand he smiled brightly." I wanted to thank you so much for coming at such short notice last night. Were you able to find out anything about that wild animal from the police department?"

Quentin released his hold on his hand, stepped aside for Hallie to move past him into the living room, and then moved into the room to view the mess. "Not much more than you already knew Elliott. They are keeping this pretty close to the department and their sources. Which concerns me."

Elliott guided Quentin to the living room and a seat. "Would you care for a cordial?" He went to pour himself a small drink, shifting his form into the comfort of his favorite chair.

Quentin waved his hand. "No thank you. Elliott, this was a very unusual incident for a wild wolf to break into houses to attack? I have never heard of such a thing except for one particular type of wolf. Are you sure it was not one of our old buddies come back to seek retribution?"

Elliott shook his head. "Hallie was certain it was a wolf, not a jackal, so I do not think the Stiles brothers are back from their temple. From my calculations it will take Ra or Anubis at least a year of our time to rebuild what he had before. I do not think he will readily wish to storm our castle so to speak."

Quentin slipped into the chair next to the sofa, crossed his leg, and folded his hands in his lap. "Well it was something that seemed to be directed and from what you are telling me I am wondering if this is what attacked Vicki that night?"

Elliott nodded slowly, sipped his drink and sighed deeply. "I too was wondering the same thing. But for the fact that she had lost so much blood from more than just the tear in the artery."

"Surely you don't think Barnabas is still responsible? We know that Willie saw him in his coffin." Quentin was quick to defend his cousin.

"I would still have thought so if it were not for the fact, that I believe that another vampire is working this area and has targeted our Victoria and others in the area."

Hallie moved down the stairs, carrying her suitcase. Setting her bag down she looked around the small neat cottage that had been her home for the past six months. A knock on the door startled her from her reverie. Jumping from the unexpected noise, she turned to open the door and saw five men standing in a v formation. "Yes?"

"Hello Hallie my dear, how are you? Is your Uncle home?" Xavier had removed his hat while speaking to the pretty blond girl. He had remembered her birth and her parent's very well. It had been a sad situation when they disappeared from the tent in South America six months ago.

Hallie smiled a warm welcome to 'Uncle' Xavier. "Uncle Xavier how nice to see you and the others. Do come in Uncle Elliott is entertaining a visitor but I am sure he would enjoy seeing you and your business associates" She stepped aside to allow them entrance to the room. Xavier, Chastain, Berwick, Rosencrantz and Lawrence crowded into the room pausing they watched the very tall form of Quentin Collins stand, tucking his tie into his suit coat and smoothing it down he turned with a cordial smile.

Elliott stood surprised and pleased to see his old friends and associates. "Gentlemen what a pleasant surprise, do come in and make yourself home. I fear my home is somewhat in disarray due to an attack on my niece last evening."

The five men showed their immediate concern they found chairs to seat themselves and accepted the glasses of cordial that Elliott had poured. "I fear my home is uninhabitable, or I would have gladly offered you a place to stay. As it is, I am now at the generosity of Mr. Collins and his family."

"That is not a problem Elliott, as it would happen, we have rented a home near Collinsport. We had business to attend and wanted to stop in to see how you were faring." Xavier seemed to be the main spokesman for the group from what Quentin could discern in the conversation.

"Then allow me to invite you to come and visit the Professor at Collinwood, we would make you welcome and enjoy getting to know you all better." His tone was very inviting, which brought a knowing and ready smile to the faces of the newly arrived guests.

"That is very kind of you Mr. Collins. We look forward to meeting your family, all of your family." Xavier stood when he stood the others stood with him. "We shall allow you to get on your way and shall we say we can meet up again when you are settled at your new location?"

Elliott smiled and nodded. "I would love for you to meet the Collins Family. They are truly wonderful people to know and have such a rich history for the area." Elliott saw his guests to the door walking them to their car. Watching them while they drove off he pondered a moment. When the Executive Board of the Illuminati made an appearance it was usually because of a crisis in the inner sanctum of the organization.

Quentin moved with Hallie's suitcase to his car. Seeing the perplexed look on his friend's face. "Problem?" Quentin moved with the Professor back to the cottage to retrieve his suitcase.

"I would say yes, but I am not sure. These men do not come in mass unless there is a problem globally or something of monumental proportions that would be affecting the world."

Quentin paused in stunned silence at the implication of what was just said. "These men? Who are they Elliott? Why would they affect you to such a degree?"

Elliott glanced around and then down to the ground, allowing Quentin to take his suitcase to carry to his car. "I would say we shall discuss this later perhaps at the old house. I would it seems am in a position that I am the one that must trust you two gentlemen with my secret." Intrigued by this statement, Quentin made quick work of packing the Family Stokes into his car and headed to Collinwood.

This was a new one for him, he had never known Elliott to have a secret other than what he had discovered on one or two of his artifact hunts. Quentin had found the men almost rubber stamped from the same mold with the way they dressed in dark three piece expensively cut suits. From the tops of their carefully groomed heads to the bottom of their wingtip shoes shined to a high polish. When he first observed them he felt they very well might have been from a paramilitary group or a more secreted agency such as MI-Six possibly CIA or MOSSAD.

The more he thought about how they flanked the leader, took up positions of protection around him when standing, moving, or sitting he was more convinced than ever that the men with this one called Xavier had come as body guards.

Barnabas moved around the lab he looked at the body in the floating viscous fluid, he could not help but shiver. This being would be animated tomorrow night and his life force was going to be infused into his lifeless body and the brain that had been collected earlier, would be, how was it Eric described it? "Jump start, like a battery in a car." Barnabas did not feel apprehensive, he was excited, would it or could it be possible that he might actually be able to function as a normal human being again? Julia moved along the table, her hands carefully carrying a tray of vials.

"Before we do this Barnabas, I want to start you on a series of injections. I fear they may make you very ill when we start. That should pass quickly, so we want you to get comfortable in the other room, where the procedure will take place."

Barnabas followed Julia to the room next to the lab. His gaze traveled over the room with its two carts, a wall of electrical switches, vials, tubes and other paraphernalia that hung from the ceiling. He had no idea what it represented or how they were to affect him. Removing his jacket, and then his shirt, he allowed Julia to slid a hospital gown over his arms. "Lie back, and relax. I am going to start an IV on you."

Barnabas watched the lights over head, the shiny silver image reflecting back Julia's image but not his. Closing his eyes he felt the needle enter his arm. The first sting of something cold entered his vein made him aware that he was about to embark on a historical event that would profoundly affect him. The first rush of something hot, almost burning his veins making its way through his system. "It burns like quick silver." His forehead beaded with sweat, and odd sensation since he had not felt it for nearly two hundred years. The fluid was flushed through out his system he felt light headed and sick to his stomach.

In her room, Vicki had been brushing her hair when a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her sending her to her knees. Crawling to the foot of her bed, she sat back and rested her head against the footboard of the bed. Closing her eyes she could feel the fear that was now growing in Barnabas as he felt his control being lost over his body. Daphne entered the room with a tray of soup and a glass of milk. Seeing Vicki on the floor she moved to sit the tray down and rush to Vicki's side. "Vicki?" Her concern was immediate seeing how pale she had gone.

Vicki reached forward taking Daphne's hand to help guide her up and onto the bed. "I got dizzy and I don't know why." Her voice had grown soft she tried to explain what was happening to her.

"Here lets get you laid back properly, and more comfortable and maybe what is going on will pass." Daphne encouraged her with soft tones and ministering hands she carefully tucked the blankets around her body. Vicki laid quietly she felt her body begin to burn with a hotness that was inside screaming to be released to the outside, then sickness to her stomach and she felt her body revolt and reject what she had eaten earlier she heaved into the trashcan Daphne held for her.

Holding her hair back, Daphne spoke softly. "Get it out, that is a good girl, get it all out." Vicki felt her stomach turn and again she began to dry heave into the trashcan. Daphne was not sure what was going on. Vicki had done such a miraculous recovery and now this relapse was perplexing and very upsetting. Giving her a glass of water to sip and rinse her mouth, Daphne excused herself to clean up the trashcan, get a cold cloth to bathe Vicki's face with and to stop and make a quick phone call to her Aunt.

"Eric I hate to bother you and Aunt Julia but we have a situation here. Vicki I fear is showing signs of a relapse, would you be able to stop by later to check on her? I am going to try and keep her from dehydrating."

Eric went to find Julia and immediately realized what was happening. "She is tied to him Julia, she is going to feel what he is feeling. I am going on out there and see if I can get her nausea under control and to see she is kept hydrated through this part of the process. When you are done, you should come to the house as well so she can feel secure that you are there and know she feels more comfortable with you."

Julia nodded, "You go on and go, I have four more injections to give him and then he will be ready for tomorrow." Eric kissed her cheek. Turning to leave he paused and looked down at the man lying cold as death on the table.

"Hang in there Barnabas this will be over soon enough." With a reassuring squeeze to his friend's shoulder, he stepped out of the room and headed to his car. He stopped long enough to grab his doctor's bag before getting in his car.

Elliott moved into the drawing room and stopped. Smiling he looked at the matriarch of the house Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. She was an amazingly beautiful woman of some considerable charm. "My dear Elizabeth, I wanted to extend my sincere gratitude for your generosity."

Elizabeth took his hand; titled her head she studied the scholarly man and smiled her appreciation. "You are always welcome here Elliott. I take it that Hallie has settled herself in her old room?"

Elliott nodded, "Yes, she is very happily unpacking her things and being entertained I believe by Master David." He moved to sit by the fireplace, awaiting Liz to take a seat first. "How is Vicki's recuperation coming along?"

"She was progressing just fine until about two hours ago, and she grew very ill. Daphne has her resting comfortably in her room and I believe she is asleep."

From her room, Vicki heard it from a great distance. At first it was a soft nudge against her mind. Then it became a demand and finally a command. Vicki sat up, her eyes transfixed and distant, sliding her shoes on she moved to the door of her room, and out into the hallway, moving on soft footfalls down the hallway to the servants entrance she descended the stairs and moved fleet of foot into the now darkening night. With a determination that was not her own, Vicki made her way to the isolated looking house on Seagull Lane. Moving up to the front porch, she stepped to the door and tried the doorknob. It was locked. Stepping to a window near the front door, she tried to push it up and found it gave with a little pressure.

Pushing the window up, she slipped into the room. Moving to the lead lined box, she looked at the locks and frowned. The voice in her mind was superseding any hold Barnabas held over her. Barnabas was loosing his ability to maintain his thrall over Vicki. The procedure was diminishing his powers with each injection he received. Vicki now stood vulnerable and confused she searched for something to break the lock on the lead lined box. Moving to get the poker, she pried the lock off, and then lifted the lid of the box.

The mist that had been contained in the box rose and solidified into the dark and commanding form of the man that had terrorized her in the past. He reformed into his solid form he smiled. "Time to join me on our journey Victoria, come."

Taking her hand he lead her away from the room and into the darkness of the night.

Barnabas felt his world spinning out of control when the last of the injections were put into his system. His mind was directed to controlling his body functions and trying to reason what was happening to him. He was feeling a rush of emotions they ran their course through his mind and body. He felt his world beginning to right itself, he also felt a panic and a emptiness that was taking over his consciousness and he sat up with a start and screamed. "VICTORIA!"

Julia grew concerned when he shouted Vicki's name and then collapsed against the bed. Rushing to check his vitals she was astonished, he had a heartbeat, his skin was warm to the touch, he was breathing. This was astonishing she stepped back afraid to move or say anything but wait. She would not have long to wait, he sat up and looked around the room.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Barnabas sat up panting hard to catch his breath. His eyes wide he was experiencing life. He took another deep breath, and felt his chest swell. The air passed through his nose and filled his lungs again. He clinched his hand and felt the warmth in his palms. He felt pain from the sudden removal of the IV from his arm. His eyes widen and he felt alive! Reaching forward he hugged Julia close to his body and wept on her shoulder. He wept for the years he had laid in a coffin trapped with nothing but his memories and thoughts of how his life should have been, he wept for his death, he wept for his rebirth into the darkness of his new life and he wept for Josette.

Julia held him, not knowing what to do but wait. He found his control, he realized he did not feel Vicki any more. He was not in control of his powers, which meant that Vicki was in terrible danger from another predator in Collinsport. Pushing back from Julia; Barnabas spoke his voice emotionally charged, "You need to put me back as I was Julia! You need to allow me to return to as I was." As hard as that was to request, he knew that he needed to be as he was to battle this new evil that stalked Vicki like the darkness that had taken his soul.

Julia shook her head. "I can't take it back Barnabas we have already begun and we need to see it through, this is just a temporary fix. You will not remain this way for any longer than twenty-four hours. The permanent fix is the life transference, which we will try and do tomorrow."

Barnabas sat up and began to dress. "I cannot do this until I know that Victoria has been returned to me safely." He dressed hurriedly a part of him knowing that she was in danger.

Julia took off her lab coat and moved to the hallway of the first floor of the house. Dialing Collinwood she waited for someone to pick up the phone. "Quentin Collins speaking."

"Quentin, it's Julia. Has Eric arrived?" She held her breath waiting for the response.

"No, not at this time. Was he on his way over without his lady love?" Quentin glanced up to see Daphne looking concerned and panic ridden. "Julia, would you please hold on for a moment." Covering the mouthpiece to the phone waited for Daphne to come down the stairs.

"Quentin, Vicki has disappeared from her room. I found her on the floor earlier in a cold sweat and ill. I got her in the bed and went to get a cold cloth for her and when I returned she was gone. I have searched everywhere."

David appeared at the top of the steps, his face pale and his eyes wide. "Josette says that Vicki is in terrible danger, that a dark evil man has her."

Eric drove to the entrance of Collinwood and parked his car. Moving to the door he opened the door and walked into chaos of confusion and panic. "Oh Eric has just arrived Julia. I think you and Barnabas need to head this way. I think we have a problem."

Barnabas paced the drawing room floor of the old house. He paused turned to move to the window and look out. Where was she? Who had her? He knew that darkness always wanted to destroy the pure and pure at heart, that made Vicki all the more vulnerable. Anyone that looked upon her could see the purity and goodness she exuded without effort. "Cheri, she is in terrible danger, the evil one, Jubbah has her and he intends to leave with her. " Josette's body floated along the floor to stand next to Barnabas.

"Can you see where she is Josette?" His hope resting with the woman he had loved once. He watched her begin to fade from view.

"Josette? Where are you going?" He tried to prevent her leaving but to no avail the only sign she had been there was the scent of her perfume. Leaving behind a softly uttered, "I shall see if we can find her Mon chéri." Barnabas stepped to where she had stood earlier, trying to stop her leaving.

"Please Josette do not leave me. Come back!" His plea landed on air. The foyer doors opened allowing Julia, Eric, Elliott, and Quentin to enter the old house. Barnabas turned expectantly for some news.

He stood in human form; vulnerable, helpless, and sadly lacking the confidence he once held as an undead entity. Now he had to depend on the help of others and he resented the fact he was unable to think or function. Quentin looked at the flush pink features of his cousin and discovered he was living the life of being alive and not half alive half dead. He was also filled with concern, of all the times for Barnabas to have what he had wanted for nearly two hundred years he was now going to be forced to give it up for now.

"We are expecting some friends of Elliott's to join us here that might be able to shine the light on what is happening and whom we are dealing with at this time." Quentin followed the others into the drawing room moving to the fireplace to lean against the mantle.

Elliott moved to sit by the fireplace; sinking into the chair he looked distressed and upset. "I fear I have been keeping a secret form all of you. It is time that I put my trust in you my friends."

All eyes turned to Elliott as they waited for him to continue with his confession. "Let us begin with the fact, that I know that Vicki is being sought after constantly by darkness and evil. Evil corrupts and their biggest coup would be to claim the soul of an innocent or pure of heart individual that epitomizes what light means."

Elliott continued to think about his next words he was organizing his thoughts in his mind his heart was sick with the thought that Vicki was now being held by the vileness of darkness the very core of evil. "Victoria is a what we call a true innocent. She believes in the goodness of others and the rightness of what is light, so she attracts evil. That coupled with the fact that she has a talent of being a light for those that have passed on, a medium if you will, does not help her situation."

They all sat waiting while Elliott seemed about ready to gear up for one of his famous lessons. "Now as such she is now being held by a member of the Illuminati that met her when she went back to the past. The reason for that journey was for my benefit. You see, Vicki had to go back and save my great, great grandfather so that I might be born and live." Barnabas was searching his newly acquired memories he listened he was trying to discern who was the member of the illuminati that would want Vicki.

"I had a need for her to go back in time and be there when Ben Stokes suffered a heart attack, I am the one that summoned the wraith that took her back. The problem was I did not get to choose how and where she went back and who was to trade places with her while she was there." Barnabas was aware that she had ended up in Martinique and Josette had ended up here in the old house in her place. He figured it was because of the ring he had given her had been the catalyst for the exchange. He remembered their walks on the beach and he knew he was beginning to fall in love with her.

"Unfortunately, at that time, she was to take the place of a young woman by the name of Victoria La Finnier, which she did. However it was not Miss La Finnier that made the trip to this time until later. That is also the reason one of the darker members of our group made acquaintance with Vicki and took an unhealthy interest in her. He viewed her as his property because he believed she truly was Victoria La Finnier."

"Unfortunately, when he did finally meet up with the woman he had 'bought' as his wife, he discovered it was not the woman he believed her to be but a very shallow and pale comparison to the vibrant, bright young woman he had met on the beach that day so long ago." Then it hit Barnabas like a lightening bolt. He was up against Jubbah Zachary, the very man that Victoria had fled from Martinique to avoid. His face clouded with the thought that now Vicki was in his hold and he was unable to help her.

"Now as to my other secret. As some of you that have studied the dark arts and the supernatural as Quentin and I have, you will have read about a secret society called the Illuminati. It has been in existence since the mid seventeen hundreds and some of those that were members then are still members because of their own abilities. The Head of this organization came to my home earlier today with his enclave of board members. That is what alerted me to something going on and the potential that this could be a global affect if the whole enclave had come to Collinsport."

"You see, when I was still a young man filled with high and lofty ideas and a thirst for knowledge, I had traveled as a visiting professor around the world. That is when I was approached by one of the oldest secret organizations to become a member of the Enlightened."

Quentin was listening with rapt attention and spoke softly. "So you were approached by the Illuminati to join them and become a part of this group?"

"Yes, I was approached and because they had access to some of the oldest volumes of dark arts books and a veritable endless resource and library to draw from. I was seduced to join their organization and have been a member since the late 40's right after the war. Obviously with our connections we were able to obtain most the documents and books that Hitler had been gathering in regards to the darker arts which he was trying to tap into in order to sway the war efforts in his favor."

"So you are telling me those men that came to Collinwood earlier and to your cottage are the main organizers of this group?' Quentin was definitely interested and wanted to know more about this group.

"Yes, and what they told me has me convinced that Vicki is now with Jubbah Zachary, a vampire and menace and now a threat to those of us that keep our society a secret. That is why Xavier and the others have come. They hoped to capture and leave with Jubbah."

Barnabas slumped down on a chair near the window and looked around the room. "Jubbah murdered his wife Victoria La Finnier. The original reports were that she had died in childbirth. However, from what I knew of the man he was vindictive and vicious and he hated our family."

"Why?" It was a fair enough question and one that deserved an answer.

"Because of me. You see, I only recently gained memories of Vicki being in the past as Victoria La Finnier, I was the one that helped her leave the island and brought her back here. I can surmise the reason he hated me was simple enough. You see; while she was here and not in Martinique he could not control her or claim her as his future wife. " Barnabas was feeling disjointed and upset. He had longed to feel human again and here he was human and unable to help the one he loved. He found it ironic that the one thing he had loathed and needed was the very thing he had hated.

Eric had sat listening quietly to the conversation when he stood. "I think we shall delay this transference event until such time that you are able to proceed without distraction, I need to get back to the lab and put the body in the cryogenic tube Julia. Will you join me later?"

Julia stood with Eric, "I think this is something we both need to attend to preserve all we have done so far. So, if you will excuse us we really need to leave and it is probably best before the members of the Illuminati arrive. You see I tried to get into their illustrious organization and they would not contact me so I fear I may be a problem for you all."

Elliott was shocked. "What reason did they give for now allowing you admission Julia, I find that you would have more than qualified with your background and your intelligence."

"They had read my dissertation and found my work too radical for their tastes and denied me access." Julia had a bitter taste left in her mouth over that insult and backhanded slap to her face when she had been rejected. She still burned with resentment from their rejection and she would in her way like to reciprocate the favor by denying them her presence when the arrived.

Eric and Julia left the old house leaving Barnabas, Elliott and Quentin awaiting the arrival of Xavier and his enclave. "Do you really think they can help us find Vicki and end this night mare?' Barnabas looked from Elliott to Quentin.

"Barnabas, if anyone can help us on this. It will be Xavier and his enclave. They are experts when dealing with the likes of Jubbah, this much I can tell you, they do know about you Barnabas and they know about you Quentin and both of your unique abilities." This information did surprise both men.

"I am wondering how it was that Jubbah was able to transcend his death to become a member of the undead?" Barnabas sat back and tried to think, to rationalize.

"He has access to the dark arts and a darker master to attend. I am sure he made a deal with this dark master to get what he wanted."

Xavier stepped fully into the room, having found the door unlocked he opened it and entered with his enclave behind him. "I beg your pardon for barging in like this, but considering that time is of the essence, we felt it necessary to not stand on formalities or ceremony and meet as quickly as possible."

Barnabas stood, "Gentlemen, shall we adjourn to my library, there we will not be interrupted." Barnabas led them to his library and made them comfortable, before excusing himself for a few moments. Moving to the drawing room he called for Willie, "Willie, join me in the drawing room please." Barnabas anxiously awaited Willie's arrival.

"Willie, I want you to get ready to leave here on a moment's notice, I will need silver bullets, stakes, and crosses, silver crosses and holy water and do not mess up with the holy water like you did the last time. This time I am not as strong as I was, and we cannot afford to make any mistakes."

Willie looked at his friend and boss with some concern edging his face. "Barnabas, its bad, really bad isn't it?" He waited for confirmation.

"Yes Willie it really is bad and we could loose Vicki for good this time if we do not react with haste. She is in far more danger than you can imagine."

Willie bean to pace back and forth like an angry tiger. His face filled with worry and his hand running over the back of his neck, a habit he had picked up when he was agitated. "I will take care of what you need, you don't worry. I won't mess this up. I promise."

Barnabas patted his arm and smiled tensely, "Thank you Willie, it means a lot to me that you want to help me with this situation." Barnabas returned to the library. Moving to his desk, he sat and waited for the conversation to begin. He wanted an explanation as to how this esteem group could allow a cold blooded killer to be a prominent member of their organization and would deny Julia access.

Xavier was the first to begin with his story. "First of all, I want it understood that by divulging this information I must indoctrinate you both into our order of the Illuminati. By accepting the membership, you will only be called up should a global catastrophe is about to occur and your unique abilities would be needed."

Quentin frowned, "And if we choose not to join what then?"

"We get up and leave and take care of this situation on our own and not involve you, either of you. I further cannot guarantee that other members may try to seek you out to silence you."

"Not much choice there is there?" Quentin said dryly he shifted uncomfortably and with a degree of anger in his chair.

"You must appreciate our situation Mr. Collins. We would not have involved you at all had it not been for the fact that one of your own is now in terrible danger from a dark entity we thought to contain and keep secured."

"I want to know how he managed to bring himself over to the other side." Barnabas fixed his gaze directly on Xavier.

"Perhaps a bit of back history is needed here Xavier." Chastain stood and moved to pour himself a drink from the decanter on the sideboard.

Xavier nodded, "Yes, I suppose it won't hurt since you Mr. Collins lived a part of it." Xavier thought a moment and then began to explain how this all came about.

"After meeting you and Miss Winters on the beach that day, he saw how pure she was and what a true innocents that she had maintained despite all she had been through and that temptation was not a part of her world. He became obsessed.

After you and Miss Winters left the island and came back here to Collinsport. Jubbah became incensed and out of control. He ended up killing six slaves and burning off part of the crops of his neighbor." Xavier had to pause so he knew he got the events right and the order of the stage of the downward spiral of Jubbah Zachary.

"After he was convinced that you had taken his intended, he made it a point to get on the next ship. Now you can imagine how he reacted when he arrived at Collinwood and discovered the woman that he had thought was Victoria La Finnier was in fact Victoria Winters from this century he flew into a rage. He had made a deal with Victoria La Finnier's father to take her as his wife and he did. However once they got back to the island he made it clear that he intended to only use her for his sexual needs to produce a heir. When she had become pregnant she was sick a lot and soon it was time to deliver. She delivered a stillborn son. This sent him into a rage, an uncontrolled rage that allowed him to turn his back on his wife who was hemorrhaging and left her to bleed out in her bed."

Xavier was recalling all the events as they unfolded. "Free from that encumbrance, he tried to figure out how to travel into the future to pursue the one woman that he felt had gotten away. That was Victoria Winters. So he made a deal with his dark master, to allow him the knowledge and the ability to transcend time and to either travel to the future as Vicki had traveled to the past or allow him to live long enough to find her and bring her back to his plantation."

Quentin saw where this was going and nodded, "So he made a pact to become a member of the undead and wait out time. Thus arriving here when he knew she would be here."

"Yes, he did not realize that he had arrived here in this time at the same time she had returned from the past. That is when he took her nearly killing her with his blood lust."

"That was horrendous, what would he have accomplished by killing her before he had a chance to turn her?" Quentin was truly flabbergasted by the audacity of the man's actions.

Barnabas answered for them, "If he had succeeded and she would have died, she would not have died, she had shared my blood and she would have been converted to a state of the undead and he would then have domain over her by being the one that took her life thus making her over into what he was. She would have been bound to him."

"But it was your blood that made the transformation possible. How would that supersede your claims?" Quentin was trying to understand and Elliott was listening fascinating at seeing and learning about this part of the vampire's life.

"Because he would have been the one to end her life, that would give him domain over her body and soul." Barnabas explained in as simple terms as he could think of to make it understood.

"I see, so now the question is gentlemen how do we contain this evil that has taken a member of our family and send him back to hell where he belongs."

Xavier studied both men, "Then you accept membership into our ranks?"

Quentin nodded, "I accept under one condition." He locked his eyes to Barnabas and then to Xavier.

"And that is?" Xavier did not feel Quentin was in a position to demand conditions but allowed him his say.

"That you allow Dr. Julia Hoffman into the same ranks as we join, do you agree Barnabas?"

Xavier stiffened and then relaxed. "I will consider her application again. At the time of her original application she was way too radical to trust into our rank and file and not what we were recruiting."

Barnabas studied his fingertips, "A woman that can design a drug that could cure vampirism is not worth recruiting?" He fixed that gaze on Xavier who was suitably impressed.

"Has she cured you Mr. Collins? Are you no longer a member of the Undead?" Xavier had noted his skin and the flush of the blood that ran through his veins.

"I have a heartbeat something I lacked for nearly two hundred years. I do not crave blood and once Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Lang complete the treatments they are hopeful that I shall walk in sunlight for the rest of my natural life and will be able to father children, which I plan to do with Miss Winters."

All five men were intently interested in what he had to say while Barnabas explained the process he had been undergoing over the past several months.

Then he explained what had happened to him earlier in the evening when for the first time since he died, his heart began to beat, his veins held blood and he did not crave blood. "We shall gladly look at her application again, now my question is, do you accept admission into our society?" Xavier waited patiently while the room grew in exaggerated silence waiting for his answer.

"I accept." Quentin said with an exhale of breath, then he looked to his cousin "And you Barnabas?"

Barnabas nodded his head. "I accept, now we plan and this much I can tell you. If I get my hands on Jubbah Zachary, I plan to send him back to his dark master for messing with what is mine and mine alone."

Xavier felt it would be a fair trade; smiling he nodded, "And we will help you send his unrepentant soul back to hell if that helps you any Mr. Collins."

"Now, how do you propose to find him and capture him?" Barnabas sat forward and for the first time this night felt he was back in control and he would be bringing Vicki home for good. An inner light glowed inside him as he listened to the plan to bring down Jubbah before he could corrupt Vicki and take her soul from her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Vicki's reality was coming into focus, around her was the smell of death and decay, the humus that littered the floor of the ancient tomb made her aware that she was not alone in this terrifying place. She lifted her head and tried to adjust her vision to the room. Immediately she was reminded of Eagle Hill Cemetery and the area round the Collins mausoleum. Her hands were tied over her head. The tightness of the rope made her shoulder's ache. Shifting she tried to get comfortable and ease the tension against her muscles. Something brushed against her legs and she let out a tiny yelp of fright.

Tightness filled her throat and she felt sick, the nasty taste of bile edged the back of her throat. Swallowing successively and quickly she tried to stave off the urge to vomit. If she did, she would be throwing up on herself, there was no place to move her head to avoid it. Feeling her stomach settle she closed her eyes and tried to think. Where had she gone and what had happened to her to bring her to this point. She remembered the horrible man from the past. The one that said he was to be her husband if she were Victoria La Finnier. The most disagreeable pig she had fled from to Collinsport with Barnabas.

But how was that possible, he was from the past. Perhaps he was a descendent like Barnabas and Quentin were descended from their grandparents. But why would he do this to her? What had she done to harm him to such a degree that he felt compelled to punish her or torture her in this manner? She was exhausted and wanted only to curl into a ball and sleep, forget that she was no longer in her bed at Collinwood but some dark, damp cellar or crypt awaiting what? Her death? Again there was that light movement and tickling sensation as if she were being used as a bridge to cross for some insect or pest that frequented places like this.

Trying to keep herself calm, she kept her eyes closed. Surely she had been missed and they were searching for her she sat here bound and unable to move. She tried to listen to her surroundings but found it was nothing more than a dripping noise from outside this building and the night sounds of early morning. Closing her eyes she felt herself slip into an uneasy sleep when she felt her body jerked up and slammed against the wall. Eyes wide she opened her mouth to scream and felt a hand clamp over her lips. "Shut up and listen to me slut. You belong to me. You were the one that played a dangerous game in the past and now your past has caught up with you."

Vicki's eyes wide, face pale, breathing coming short looked into the coldest hatred filled eyes she had ever seen. Trask had been a letch and bad, Alexandru had been ambitious and dispassionate, but this man was cold and filled with rage and hatred. She was afraid of him and did not mind letting it be known. Her breath came shaky against his palm, her eyes were filled with absolute fear, to avoid the cold blue glint in those eyes, and she closed her eyes. This made him angry enough to slap her across the face. She could feel her cheek beginning to swell so she knew he had hit her hard enough to bruise her face.

"Open your eyes and look into mine and receive your fate bitch." His words were harsh and guttural he moved into her face, forcing her to open her eyes and look at him. Pinching her cheeks with his thumb and forefinger he spoke against her lips. "You left me with a pale image of you when you returned to this time." He jerked her away from the wall, lifting her to throw her across the room to land hard on the floor with a sickening thud winding her with the action. "Do you know what I gave up for you?" He moved around the room like a mad man. Vicki was too afraid to do more than curl into a ball to protect her self from any further punishment while he went about his tirade.

"You who showed yourself to be Victoria La Finnier, pretending to be the woman that I had pledged myself to. You who danced on the beach and allowed me to see the woman that you were and the beauty I thought I had bought! You were the water nymph, the temptress that made me desire you and then you let him take you away from the island. So, I followed you to Collinsport, only when I arrived, it was not you in Collinwood, but that insipient foolish woman that was Victoria La Finnier!"

He moved about the room in a rage that was building with each word he spoke and each thought of being cheated. He paused for a moment collecting his thoughts. "I was then forced to take that woman as my wife, she did not last long under my artful ministrations. As a matter of fact she could not even deliver me a living son. She had to kill him in her womb and so I allowed her die.' He moved to stand over her body now curled into a fetal position to protect it from any further abuse. He stooped down on his haunches. His voice dropped lower and became more feral and dangerous sounding. "She begged me to let her die. She cried and begged me to kill her."

He laughed and there was no humor in that laughter he sat down next to her. "I am not a monster, why not give her what she wanted, so I sat and watched as she bled to death. The sheets beginning to soak, the bed and mattress soaked with her blood. She was so white when she finally died. That I felt I was rid of her and still I was not with the woman that I desired or wanted. That woman was you, Victoria Winters. You were the one who had traveled into the past to save the worthless life of one Ben Stokes so that your precious Elliott Stokes could live in this lifetime. As you finished your goal, you were brought back to here and now. I was left with nothing. Do you hear me bitch! Nothing!"

He set back and pressed his body against the wall he watched her lay and trembled at the base of his feet. "I had to give up my life to be here today. I sold my soul for you and by all that is dark and evil, I shall have you Victoria Winters. You will be my slave and do as I say, you will follow all my commands and you will be treated humanely for being obedient, disobey me and I shall beat you." He stood and looked to the sky and sighed, "Soon, daylight will be upon us and I will need to rest. You will be secured against the wall and when I awaken this night, we shall begin our journey together you and I, an eternity together."

Grabbing her by the hair of her head, he drug her back to the wall she had been against earlier and tied her hands over her head again. "Try and rest my dear. I can promise you when I rise, you will know peace no more." In abject horror she watched him move to a coffin, opening the lid, he lifted the corpse out of the coffin and flung it against the corner, then he placed him self in the coffin and closed the lid as the first rays of sunshine made its way across the narrow slits of the busted planks in the wall.

Sick, scared, and depressed Vicki slipped once again into an uneasy sleep. She was not sure what it was that had awaken her but the air had grown cold and the scent was exotic. At first she thought it might be Josette but it did not have the same feel. It was not Sarah either, it was someone different but familiar.

The pale form of Victoria La Finnier appeared in the center of the room. She drifted to Vicki's side and touched the bounds that held her hands tied. "Wake up Victoria it is time for us to escape." The touch was enough for her to direct her energy to untie and let the bindings fall away.

Vicki looked at her gratefully, "Thank you so much." She scrambled up on shaky legs and made her way towards a narrow set of stairs, pushing up into the daylight she blinked and looked around. It was unfamiliar to her and she was not sure which direction she should go. Squinting her eyes she made out the shimmering figure that faded into view and out of view. It beckoned her to follow, stumbling and staggering she began to move stiffly towards the figure that danced across the graveyard leading her away from certain death.

Barnabas thought about the plan the enclave from the Illuminati had outlined. It was a sound plan but he still needed to find Vicki and make her safe before they faced off against Jubbah. "So are we in agreement? Once we have him, we shall secure him again in the lead lined box."

"So how do you think that we shall get him to come to the place you trapped him without thinking it's another trap?" Quentin voiced the same question Barnabas had pondered.

"Once we find Miss Winters she shall be our bait, we know she is his weakness. He will come for her."

"Ahh but that is the problem, we don't know where he has taken Vicki, now what do you propose?" Barnabas was growing tired, he had not been used to feeling, and having this much stress on his body without his special abilities and this was fatiguing him fast.

Xavier turned to Chastain and nodded. Chastain stood moving from the room to return in a short amount of time with a urn used to put a deceased ashes. Sitting the urn on the desk he stepped back and allowed Xavier to explain. "These are the ashes of Victoria La Finnier, she is at this time helping us locate Victoria Winters, once she had secured her release, she will lead her here to your house Mr. Collins."

"How is she able to locate Vicki when I have my own resources attempting to locate her."

Xavier sighed deeply, "You are referring to Josette and your sister Sarah Collins." Xavier stood and moved to the window to peer out into the now growing light sky, it was just beginning to paint its hues of deep red, orange, and yellow across the sky's expanse. "Josette and Sarah will not be able to find her because he put a blocking spell on her against you and those that would attempt to rescue her from him. We brought Victoria with us because he believes she has moved on after he watched her die."

Xavier turned to smile, "Victoria La Finnier has a grudge against her husband and wishes to see him delivered to his rightful punishment, and she knows we intend to do just that."

"Not if I get to him first." Barnabas promises he shifted in his chair and studied the daylight grow across the front lawn to travel through the window and light up his library.

"Collins, you really should allow us to take care of our own and deal with him in our way."

"As a newly acquired member of your organization, I would say I have earned the right to see my brand of justice delivered to him." Barnabas' voice had grown softer he spoke. He wanted them to argue with him over his right and he was prepared to defend his rights.

To the surprise of Quentin and Barnabas; Xavier held up his hand and capitulated to allow Barnabas his right to bring down Jubbah. "If that is your wish and your sincere desire, then I grant you a chance to do so Mr. Collins. However should you fail, we will deliver him to his dark master without your assistance."

Willie paced the floor of the drawing room, his gaze traveling down the hallway to the library and where Barnabas was meeting with those odd men. His concern was for his boss and for Vicki he paced like a nervous cat back and forth. Barnabas and the Collins family set his mind on how they would bring about this next chapter of a very odd life he had been thrown into.

He paused hearing the door open. Moving forward he froze, then he rushed forward before she fell on the floor. Vicki looking like she had lived through shear hell moved into the foyer. She paused for a moment before he eyes fluttered shut and she fell to the floor. Willie rushed to catch her before she fell and screamed out, "BARNABAS!" That scream sent the coldness of death flooding over Barnabas he sat bolt upright, then pushed him self from the chair and ran from the room, followed by the others. Barnabas arrived in the foyer to see Willie cradling the unconscious girl in his arms while he rocked back and forth.

Xavier glanced from the tender scene on the floor to the door where he saw the shimmering outline of Victoria La Finnier. He smiled and nodded to her and watched her slowly dissolved into thin air, leaving only the faintest hint of her exotic perfume behind. "Now Mr. Collins may we have a little more faith in our abilities?" Xavier asked patiently; watching Willie lift Vicki to carry her upstairs with Barnabas following.

"Yes, I believe in your abilities it does not diminish the fact I want satisfaction and the dead body of Jubbah Zachary impaled on a cross. Excuse me while I send for Julia and Eric. Quentin would you be so kind as to see to the comfort of our guests. I am going to see Vicki safely installed in her room? Elliott care to join me in Josette's room? I think a protection spell is in order to keep her safe."

Elliott had been silent for most of the plan making. Now he was needed to perform a protection spell he was finally feeling useful again. "Of course. It will be to protect her from him gaining her will and protect her from being attacked by him Xavier but it will not block his being able to locate her." Elliott followed Barnabas and Willie up the stairs to Josette's room. Making quick work of gathering candles and preparing the words he effectively put a protective spell over Vicki as she lay sleeping fitfully on the bed. Turning he spoke softly, "Barnabas I have been thinking and I believe that I have a far better solution for taking care of Mr. Zachary forever."

Willie moved into the room, "The two doctors are on their way." He started to leave when Elliott halted his progress.

"Willie I need you to do something for me. I need a large tank brought into the basement to the lab. Then I will need you to go to a warehouse near the campus of my university. There you will find five cylinders of Liquid nitrogen. Bring two of those cylinders back here and to the basement and whatever you do, do not puncture those cylinders."

Willie glanced to Barnabas who nodded for him to do what the Professor asked. Willie without further question turned to leave the two men alone. "Now what are you planning?"

Elliott smiled, "I am about to make a popsicle out of Mr. Zachary, once we freeze him, we secure him in that box they designed to take him out of here, but before you do so, we drive a stake into his heart."

Barnabas thought about his plan and smiled, turning to view Vicki he nodded, "He will pay for what he did to her, it appears he beat her fairly harshly from the bruising and contusions she has on her body." Elliott had observed the foul use and abuse she must have been subjected to while in his presence and he was more determined to freeze him and allow Barnabas to have his satisfaction for what he had done to Vicki.

Vicki twisted in the bed and called out softly, "Oh dear god no! Barnabas!" She opened her eyes and peered around. Her eyes alighting on the figure she had just called out for in her dream. "Barnabas!" She winced she sat up holding out her arms waiting to feel his arms around her. She began to weep softly against his shoulder, her voice soft she began to explain what had happened.

The more he heard the more outraged he had become. "The blackguard should be drawn and quartered for his foul treatment of you my dear. " He held her tightly allowing her head to lie against his shoulder.

"What if he tries to come back for me? " Her words notwithstanding the fact she was more than just a little frightened by the prospect of being back in his company. "I will never go back with him my love, he is a mad man and he I thought was going to kill me at one point."

Elliott politely withdrew from the room and made his way down the stairs to the foyer, stopping for a moment he decided to tell Xavier and the enclave what he planned to do once Willie returned with the items he needed. Moving back down the hallway to the Library he stepped inside. "She is resting with Barnabas as we speak but I thought I might tell you what we plan to do once Jubbah comes for Vicki and you know he will come for her, she is his kryptonite."

Xavier nodded, "We know, we knew he was going to make his move we just did not expect it to be this soon."

Elliott nodded slowly, "I will prepare a tank to freeze dry our Mr. Zachary, Willie is bringing me back two tanks of liquid nitrogen. Once I have it, I shall prepare the trap to lure him into the tank and then we will flood the tank with the liquid nitrogen. Now I know that it will freeze him and incapacitate him. After that I believe that Barnabas will dispose of his body."

Xavier sighed deeply, "Normally Elliott, I would have argued to the bitter end about this since this was one of our long standing members. However Barnabas Collins has every right to ask for his feelings to be considered, especially after seeing the ill use Miss Winters must have suffered at Jubbah's hands."

Elliott smiled, "You are a fair man Xavier, now if we can convince you that Julia Hoffman is more than just another pretty face, she has a damn good brain and she knows how to use it. She would benefit this organization greatly."

Xavier sighed softly and took on a thoughtful look. "If she has actually found a way to take her paper and do as she indicated so many years ago, then I will reconsider her admittance into our organization."

Elliott nodded, "You might want to consider her fiancé as well. Eric Lang is a brilliant scientist as well as a brilliant doctor and he is about to make history with what he plans to do with Barnabas to again give him back a normal life."

"Do go on Elliott what you are proposing is rather frightful but fascinating." Xavier was attentive to what Elliott was beginning to explain how Eric Lang and Julia Hoffman was going to bring him back from his death like state and help him have a full life again.

"So he believes that by sending over a portion of Barnabas' life force will eliminate the curse all together allowing him to continue on with a full life?"

Elliott nodded, "Yes, that is the theory he is pursing to see it to its end."

"This is quite the eclectic group you have found yourself involved in Elliott, we will consider both doctors for admission."

The rest of the morning was spent in a flurry of activity of preparing for the upcoming night and the confrontation with Jubbah, the day started to grow longer; Barnabas began to have that old familiar feeling returning to him. He was once again in control of his powers and with this empowerment he was ready to face Jubbah at the end of the day. Elliott spent the rest of the daylight in the basement of the old house preparing a chamber for freezing Jubbah. Once they were able to lure him to the lab they would capture him and destroy the evil that plagued them.

To secure this setting, they all agreed that Vicki would be in the room and near the tank that would ultimately hold the frozen body of Jubbah. Now all that remained to be done and attended to was the safekeeping and well-being for Vicki while they waited for daylight to fade and night to fall.

Chris Jennings awoke in his room, again the bed had been over turned, the furniture torn apart, and the window had been broken out. It was bad enough to see this mess, but his clothing had been shredded and he was covered in blood. A sick-sinking feeling filled his body he sat up and brushed the fall of his bangs from his eyes. A low long moan filled his body he began to weep into his arm. It always happened on a full moon and now he was covered in blood again. His body shook with the raw emotion of having awakened in this state again.

Pushing up from the floor he made his way to the bathroom, throwing up in the sink he slumped to the bathroom floor. "What have I don? Why can't I remember?" He moaned softly he reached for a washcloth and wet it to wipe his face clean of the dried blood. Slowly he moved to the shower, stripped and then turned the taps on hot stepping beneath the rush of water over his body he allowed his thoughts to clear he considered his options and what he might have done. The water running over his body felt good and soon enough he had found soap and began to wash.

Stepping out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waste and moved to the mirror on the wall, wiping his hand over the steamed filled glass he looked at his face and into his eyes. He was bewildered. What was happening to him? He could not remember anything, moving out to the bedroom he turned on the small radio by his bed and listened for the news reports.

There it was a news caster was speaking of a death of a young woman in her bed last night along with an attack on another young lady but she was more fortunate, she had escaped near death from the rabid wolf that had crashed through her kitchen window. She had defended her self with a sauce pan of hot chocolate.

Smelling the shirt or what was left of his shirt, he did smell the distinct odor of hot chocolate on his shirt's remnants. Slumping down in the chair and tightening his towel he slumped over the table and cradled his head in his hands. Why could he not remember? What had happened, did he attack that girl, those girls? He could not remember anything except going to bed early and feeling sick to his stomach when the moon began to rise overhead. "Chris?" a soft knock on the door and the sweet voice of his sister called through the door to him. "Chris, open the door, its me Amy."

Chris stood and padded back to his bedroom, finding his housecoat he closed the door to his bedroom and moved to the door to open it to the tiny wide eyed pretty girl with a smattering of freckles across her nose. "What took you so long? I have been waiting forever for you to open the door." Then she ran and threw her self into his arms; wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and not wanting to let go. "Don't ever do that to me again." She begged with her face buried into his stomach. Chris hugged her close; kissing the top of her head.

"I won't now you need to calm down and allow me to get dressed." He gently disengaged himself from her hold and moved to his bedroom. Once there he took his time to dress before going out to face that accusatory look on his little sister's face. It was a moment he had dreaded since he woke up. He wished he could remember what had happened to him so he could tell Amy why she should not worry.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Vicki stood in front of the cryogenic tank, her eyes fixed and staring straight ahead. "He is close." she whispered to the room. Julia and Eric hid behind the interior wall, and watched through a couple of bricks that had been removed.

"Julia this is a very dangerous thing she is doing. If they do not stop him before he comes to her, he can drain her in a matter of seconds."

"Look at her hand Eric." Julia whispered back.

Eric's eyes moved to her left hand where Vicki clutched for dear life a crucifix in sterling silver. "The very second he enters she will raise the cross. Giving her time to back into the second tank, Willie will close the tank's front and bring her out of the back of the tank. He will think both tanks are built the same and try to follow, or at least that is the plan."

Barnabas stood next to Elliott and Xavier his eyes now very keen and alert to his surroundings. Quentin stood across the room from Barnabas, Elliott and Xavier, while the enclave surrounded the rest of the room. All carrying stakes and crosses waited and watching Vicki.

"He is here." She gasped, raised the cross in front of her she stood defiantly facing the opening to the door. The fog had flowed down the steps, swirling, thick and menacing with its unnatural movement when it reached the open archway, it began to rise and form into that of a huge hulking figure.

With eyes that blazed red to a icy cold blue he glared at her standing defiantly in front of him. "YOU THINK THAT WILL STOP ME?" He raged at her while he advanced, she stepped back into the container behind her, Willie flipped the handled and the door slammed shut.

"NO, that won't stop you but I will." Barnabas stepped forward his own anger as fueled as Jubbah's. "Come face me Jubbah Zachary, face someone who is your equal!" Barnabas advanced on the form that stood just a few inches from the container that would end his life forever.

Jubbah laughed, "Collins we meet again and this time you can watch as I take what is mine from you." He moved away from the container. Barnabas kept watching the foul demon advanced towards him. Jubbah was determined to end Barnabas life once and for all. With forceful movements he was advancing with no mercy in his glowing haze of hatred.

Barnabas did not allow time to separate their distance he too advanced. He was as determined to end this man's existence knowing full well that was Jubbah's same intent for him. Throwing his body against Jubbah, Barnabas snarled, "You will die tonight, it ends now!"

The two men locked in a death match of horrific strength and rage they slammed each other around the room. The others formed a circle around the two while they battled with each other, growling, snarling and cursing their bodies made contact with the walls, the tables and the floor, breaking everything in their paths.

The observers were horrified and fascinated at the same time with the display of such strength and resilience to fight the other. At one point, Jubbah had thrown Barnabas into the tank, Jubbah had dived into the tank after Barnabas and Barnabas had shouted, "NOW WILLIE DO IT NOW!"

Willie did not want to close the door on them both; it would mean that Barnabas would be trapped in the frozen state and possibly die. The battle was becoming destructive and at the right moment, Barnabas thrust forward, flipped Jubbah around and physically broke the lever slamming the door shut on the man. "NOW WILLIE!"

Willie threw the lever and all watched in open fascination the tubes exterior temperature gage began to drop suddenly to sub zero temperatures, encasing the tube in a frost that now colace around the tube. The faceplate frosted over and obscured sight into the tank. Barnabas stepped back, his anger dissipating quickly he watched the tube do what it was designed to do. He smiled and the smile was most unpleasant. "You will harm no other from this day forward." He spat out.

Eric and Julia moved to the front of the container. "What will you do now Barnabas?" Eric asked, he wanted this specimen; he wanted to use him in his experiments but knew how dangerous he would be.

Barnabas smiled, opened the door of the tube and peered at the solidly frozen form of Jubbah, "Do, I will do this." He reached forward not caring that the touch did a freeze burn on his palm. With superhuman strength thrust the body forward.

Stepping out of the way he watched Jubbah's body hit the concrete floor and shattered into huge pieces to scatter across the room. Dispassionately he watched Jubbah's head roll against the wall to break apart. Walking forward Barnabas stepped on an eyeball hearing it crunch he took great pleasure in the sound. "Willie, sweep up this mess and take it to the ocean and throw it in." Barnabas was a disheveled mess and needed to put on a new suit and clean up. Turning to Eric he spoke softly, "We resume the experiment tomorrow."

Turning he moved to the stairs where Vicki stood waiting for him. "Come my dear, it is time to take you home and get you settled." Taking her elbow he lead her to the top of the stairs and into the hallway to the foyer, "But first I need to change so excuse me." Vicki moved to the drawing room and sat on the edge of the chair. Folding her hands in her lap she let out a shaky breath.

'Was it over?' she thought she finally relaxed and slid back against the chair back. Closing her eyes she felt for the first time in several hours she was going to be fine.

Elliott, Xavier and the brotherhood of the Illuminati's conclave watched Willie begin to shovel up the frozen pieces of what was left of Jubbah Zachary. "Mr. Loomis, my associates and I will be happy to take over this job and see to the disposal of these remains."

Willie looked up gratefully and handed over the shovel. "Be my guest I got enough to do without this mess." He turned and moved from the room. Eric and Julia both waited for Willie left then turned to the conclave and Xavier.

"So Barnabas tells me that you wish to speak with us?" Eric said running his arm around Julia's waist. "Would this be in regards to Julia's application to your illustrious organization and her rejection?" Eric was being protective of his love.

"We admit that at the time of her application, she had some very radical ideas that did not meet with our criteria for admissions. However, we are a progressive group and would like to reconsider the application and you as a member too Dr. Lang."

Xavier looked at the woman that had intrigued and then scared him with her over the top thoughts and ideas of life and the continuation of it. He watched Julia step forward and tugged on her jacket she looked down at the floor, her thoughts conflicted. Turning her back on Xavier she smiled then step back into Eric's hold.

"You know, a few years ago, being a member of this organization meant the world to me. It meant that educated men of some standing would take me seriously and it would have been a resource to draw and exchange valuable and viable information from and with. . . " She had paused then spoke again, "Others that had similar interests with me."

She turned to share her smile with Eric she continued, "I would have given my kidney to be accepted by your group. Then I realized that I was better off when you rejected me because then I was forced to defend my position alone and from my standing and no one else's."

Eric squeezed her hip hugging her closer to him. "I see that by this new approach I am at an impasse to decide if this is what I really want? I appreciate your offer to reconsider me, but from where I am standing, you are the ones that should wonder if I am reconsidering you as an association I wish to share my ideas with and on my views of bettering and enlightening the world."

Xavier had to admire her spunk. "Then I ask would you wish to reconsider? We would be delighted to have you on board with us."

Julia smiled, "I will consider your offer and will get back with you on my decision. Now if you will excuse me, my fiancé and I have history to make. Although no one will know of it, we will be bringing life after death to another deserving individual."

Julia stepped away from Eric and moved past the enclave that was collecting all the frozen pieces of Jubbah from the floor. Walking up the stairs she was happy to have that out of her way and off her mind. Eric smiled, "I believe gentlemen that she will come to the conclusion that she would like to be a part of this distinguished organization. She needed her moment and she has taken it and now she will consider. I can pretty well assure you that she will be contacting you after our next project has been completed. Now if you will excuse me we have a body to prepare for life."

Eric followed Julia out of the room, leaving Elliott with his associates. "As you can see Xavier she is worthy of your membership. I think you would benefit greatly from their collective experiences and knowledge. They have enlightened me on numerous occasions."

Vicki walked quietly with Barnabas along the pathway that lead back to Collinwood. "Victoria, it is over, you have nothing else to worry about where Jubbah Zachary is concerned."

"He was so angry and cruel. He was outraged that I had left the past to comeback here. He acted as if he owned me and expected me to accept my fate at his hands." She paused to turn and go into his embrace. 'I was not about to give in to him or his demands not that way."

Barnabas held her close, kissed her forehead and spoke softly, "You will never have to submit to anyone like him ever Victoria. Your life is your own and you belong to no one but yourself. He is gone and all we have now is to look forward to the future."

He hooked his arm through her arm and began to lead her towards Collinwood, the darkness of the night accented by the waning of the full moon. Slowly they approached the end of the path when Barnabas heard the sound behind him. Turning he saw the yellow eyes and the low growl. Narrowing his eyes he could make out the shape of a huge wolf that had been tracking them since they left the old house. Barnabas spoke softly.

"Vicki my dear, I want you to run as fast as you can to the house when I tell you, there is a wild wolf behind us."

Vicki clung to his arm. "No, I don't want to leave you." She clung to his arm.

"I will be fine my dear, I want you safe from this animal, you have been through far too much, now go and run! Send Roger back with a gun!" He shoved her away from him and stood squaring off against the wolf.

Vicki glanced back for a quick look then ran for all she was worth towards the house, a scream caught in her throat as she hit the door. "ROGER! HELP!" She moved into the foyer her eyes wild and her breath coming in short sharp gasps.

Roger rushed from the drawing room, his look of concern edged on his face. "What is it Vicki!"

"Barnabas is in the woods, he is facing off against a huge wolf, he told me to tell you to come with a gun!"

Roger moved to the den, pulled out his shotgun, loaded it and moved back into the hallway. "Where is he?"

"The edge of the path from the old house. You have to hurry Roger!" She followed him to the front door and onto the front patio area. "Please be careful."

Barnabas faced off against the incredibly huge wolf as it tracked to the left then to the right weighing up its options and deciding the best to attack the single male. Barnabas bared his teeth and hissed, the wolf backed up not sure what he was seeing but knew it would not bode well for him if he continued to stalk this strange creature.

Backing up he turned and looped off down the pathway leaving Barnabas to watch his tail disappearing into the brush of the woods over growth. Roger was running with his shotgun when he saw Barnabas standing and watching the darkening path. "Where is it Barnabas?"

Barnabas turned to peer around and then back to Roger, "I guess he changed his mind and moved off down the pathway." Turning he smiled his appreciation, "Thank you for coming so quickly. I was afraid I was going to have to fend him off by myself."

Willie stepped out on the back stoop and sat down, what he had just witnessed was enough to last him for a lifetime. _"Good_ _God above!" _ He thought sitting down and with fingers that were trembled he tried to light his cigarette and found it nearly impossible. He needed to get out of here, especially after what he just witnessed in that basement. He wanted to see Beth, he wanted a drink, he wanted to get the hell out of here and forget what he had just seen. Standing up, he shoved the cigarette back in its pack, moved into the house and found his jacket, got his car keys and moved out to his truck, leaving the odd squad in the basement to do whatever the hell they wanted to with that freeze dried piece of shit that nearly killed Vicki.

Driving along the road he jacked up the radio to listen to the current pop hit song the radio disk jockey shouting out the count down to the top ten on the charts. "And here we have the number one on the charts, by the 'Archie's' bringing you Sugar, Sugar." Willie liked the song, it reminded him of Beth. It made him smile with its upbeat tune and the words were not that bad, he would have preferred a good old County and Western song there was something about that hillbilly music that made you want to kick back or kick ass.

Pulling up in front of Lang's house Willie looked at his hair in the rear view mirror, smoothed it down, got out, rubbed his palms on the front of his pants, looked up at the three story early Victorian designed house, took a couple of steps towards the house, and then lost his nerve and turned to get back in his truck. He sat behind the wheel with his hands gripping the wheel, he looked at the house, saw on the first floor front windows two lights. Willie slowly and softly exhaled; taking his thumbs he tapped them against the wheel. "Damnit Loomis go up and knock on the goddamned door, what is the worse that could happen?"

"She could slam the door shut in your face." He reasoned the worse case scenario. "How many women have done that? So it won't kill you just go up and see if she is home and invite her out for a beer." Feeling the lump in the back of his throat, he opened his truck door again, slid out, sat there and felt the knot in his stomach grow bigger with each passing moment. Then he did what he had wanted to do earlier, he bent over and wretched. Not that his stomach had much on it. He spit a couple of times, looked up and then sighed. "This sucks, go up there." He kept muttering to himself and was bent over when he heard a voice.

"Willie are you ill?" Looking up he paled he recognized the voice that had just inquired about his health.

"Oh hi Julia, um just sumthin' I ate. Um do you know if Beth is home?" He tried to distract her with the question he felt his stomach rumble again.

"No she went out, said she wanted a beer and was going to the Blue Whale." Julia had slipped out to her car to get her bag, when she saw a truck she instantly recognized. Seeing Willie bent over and throwing up gave her pause for concern.

"Why don't you come in and rinse your mouth out and I will see if I can find you a tooth brush so you can brush your teeth." She hooked her arm through Willie's arm to steady his shaky body. "I can then give you something to get your electrolytes up."

Willie wanted to protest but he did not have it in him to protest too much he was feeling like crap and she could help him, he knew this for a fact. "I suspect you are having a delayed reaction to what happened tonight and you could be going into shock. So come along." Julia escorted him up the steps and into the foyer of the big house.

"Julia!" Eric called from his office. Hearing the door he wanted some reassurance that it was Julia.

"Yes Eric, a moment, I have a patient to attend." Julia led Willie down the hallway to a spare bathroom; looking under the base cabinet she found what she needed. Setting a toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter, she smiled. "Brush your teeth it will take the taste out of your mouth and keep the acid from causing damage to your teeth. I will be right back."

Julia stepped out into the hallway where a concerned Eric met her. "A patient?"

"Yes, I found Willie Loomis out front throwing up and looking as if he were about to go into shock. I thought it best to bring him in, have him clean up and then give him a electrolyte solution to help him."

Eric kissed her forehead smiling, "All right dear. You can mother young Loomis but I think he was here to see Beth, I have heard from Harry Johnson that she has been seeing him and they have been out a couple of times."

"Really?" Julia smiled; she was happy that Willie had found a girlfriend and Beth certainly was an attractive young lady and deserved attention.

"Yes, really. You take care of Loomis, and when you send him on his way, I need your help with the body and the brain in the basement." Eric kissed her lightly on the lips and moved down the hallway to the basement are of his house, where he had built his lab.

Willie brushed his teeth, doused cold water in his face, and raked his fingers through his tousled hair. Julia met him at the door handing him a glass filled with a discolored yellowish looking liquid. "It won't be the greatest taste, but I figure you can go down to the Blue Whale and get a beer to wash the taste away."

Willie sighed deeply, "Okay here we go, through the teeth, over the gums, lookout stomach here it comes." He tipped the glass up and downed the nasty tasting liquid. Making a face he shook his head and did a burr noise, shifting his shoulders and shaking his body like a dog trying to dry off from being wet. "You are right tastes like shit. Thanks Julia. So, I guess I will see you and Doc Lang tomorrow when I bring Barnabas for his treatment." Julia walked him to the door and saw him out to his truck.

"Are you sure you are going to be fine Willie?" She needed to be reassured; the young man had become important to her and a friend.

"Yes ma'am, I am going to be just fine, thanks. See ya tomorrow Julia." Willie started his truck slid the gear into first and pulled away from Julia standing on the curb. Julia watched him go, turned moved up the steps and the heard the sound near the bushes. Turning she saw the yellow eyes that watched her from the bushes near the end of the large veranda.

Recognizing it as a dangerous situation, she backed up and through the door, slamming it shut and throwing the bolt. The huge wolf had launched his body onto the porch landing with a thump. Then he threw his body against the heavy door and the thick glass. Julia screamed seeing how determined the wolf appeared to be trying to get to her, running down the hallway towards the door to the lab, she heard the door's glass give with the weight of the Wolf and she knew it was in the house.

Eric hearing her screams dashed up stairs and watched in horror as the wolf charged towards Julia. Reaching for her wrist, Eric jerked her body hard against his, and threw their bodies back through the steel door, slamming it shut and throwing the bolt. He could hear the snarling frustrated growls of the huge animal on the other side of the door. "Down to the lab Julia, now!" He guided her quickly down the stairs to the secondary steel door, and pushed it open, moving them both into the lab; he secured the door with double bolt locks. Moving over to his desk he picked up the phone and dialed for the police.

"Hello, this is Doctor Lang, we just had a huge wolf break into my house and we are trapped in my lab in the lower level, would you send help now!" Not one to go into a panic mode, Eric had calmly explained his problem and listened to the dispatcher on the phone. "Of course I will stay on the phone Jessie, the thing nearly hurt Julia, I may need to see to her. She was very upset and shaken by the whole . . . " The sounds of a door breaking from the hinges was heard. This alarmed Eric but he felt confident the secondary door to his lab was far stronger than the entry door.

"Jess, the animal has breeched the entry door to the basement. I am fairly sure we are fine here but we may need to take shelter in my storm room, which is designed to withstand a tornado or hurricane. So you might ask the officer to hurry. I will bring the phone in the shelter with us and continue to stay on the phone with you." Eric moved Julia over to a door that was as heavy as any jail cell door made of double re-enforced steel. Pushing Julia into the room, he brought the phone in and set it on a table, he set Julia on a cot. "I will be right back with you my dear. I want to make sure that we have the door secured and the dispatcher knows we are now in a safe area."

He did not like the paleness of her face while he secured the door and lifted the phone. "You may instruct your officers that we are secured in my storm shelter. Jess, I really need to check on Julia she is not doing well with having nearly escaped death from this animal." The wolf paced back and forth and threw his body at the door again. He felt it begin to give, then he heard his quarry moving down a set of stairs and another door was slammed shut and the sounds of locks being slid into place.

With one mighty leap he threw his whole weight against the door and felt it give the hinges breaking away and giving him access to the stairs. There he found another obstacle and threw his body against the door, it moaned and almost mocked the efforts of the cunning wolf giving the impression that it wanted to give but not without a fight.

He threw his body against the door again, and heard it moan again. One more time and he felt it give into a dent from his body, but the hinges held, then from the deep recesses of the other side of the room he heard another door being slammed shut. This clever hound padded up the stairs and out into the night to the rear of the house, where he found another door. Throwing his body against this door he felt it give and then he was in the lab. Padding around the lab he could not locate his quarry and wondered if they had escaped out of that last door.

Savage anger filled the animal he launched his body around the lab knocking over tables and chairs, breaking vials and then he saw it, a huge tank with a face peering out at him glassy eyed and floating in a vat of fluid that smelled horrendous. Growling then howling with frustration the wolf, moved back out into the rear yard of the house and made off into the waning moon's light, leaving an echoing howl of frustration behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The beakers on the table danced crazily about, tipped and intermingled the fluid between two containers. The vibration from the damage being done sent the holders wobbling, the beakers righted themselves with no sign of having just found refuge between the two. Colin Brady pulled his squad car up in front of the Dr. Lang's house, from where he stood; he could see the front door had been broken. Reaching to unlock the shotgun. "Jesse, I am in front of Lang's place, is Jerry on his way?"

"10=4 on that Colin, he is about two minutes out and I have State on the way they are almost there too." Jesse's voice crackled with static over the airwaves just as the moon broke through the clouds and Colin was greeted with the sound of a howling wolf making its way to the beach.

"I've a location on the wolf, it appears it is tracking away from the house, sounds like along the beach, you might would want Jerry or the State boy to come in that way." Jesse held the key open on the console to allow the other officers to hear what Colin had just reported. Marvin Bainbridge acknowledged that he would come by the beachfront, if the other two wanted to breach the house.

Colin watched the bar lights in the distance as they approached the cul-de-sac and pulled to a halt. "So do you think this is the Portland Predator the news media is talking about?" Jerry asked pulling his shotgun from the car and joined up with Colin.

"I always wondered why they had to put catchy names on these types of things. I really don't' know Jerry, but if you want the back, I will take the front and we can work our way through and pray it did not get Doc Lang or Doc Hoffman."

Jerry nodded heading up the drive way around the house to the back. Taking his walkie-talkie with him, he fond the back door busted in. "We have entry from the rear into the basement area Colin."

"Yeah, figured you might since it went to the beach, I will come in through the front door, meet you down there after I secure the floors to make sure there were not two of them. From the damage that must have been one big son of a bitch."

Jerry picked his way into the basement and stood looking at the broken bottles, chairs, and tables over turned. "Doc Lang! Police Department!" He looked around and jumped back when he saw the large cylinder with the face behind it. He had heard about cryogenics but he had never actually seen anyone frozen like that.

From the southeast corner he heard bolts slide and a door opened. "Here we are Jerry." Eric moved into view followed by Julia, he stopped to assess the damage and sighed. "Looks like I have a mess to clean up."

Jerry nodded, lifted his walkie-talkie, "Colin, I have both doctors they appear unharmed, it's a mess down here so use caution."

Jesse's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. "State says no sign of the wolf along the beach, so it must have headed back up the coastline and to the woods."

"Copy that." Jerry answered her just as Colin made his way into the basement to pause and look around at the mess and the strange experiments that the doctor was involved. He had heard rumors about Lang being a bit extreme and now he saw the evidence of what appeared to be an experiment with cryogenics.

"You want us to see if we can get someone over to help you secure the house Doc? You got a real mess upstairs." Colin pointed to the upstairs. "Front door is completely trashed, the thing knocked it from the hinges and broke the facing, you can save the door, but the glass is gone for sure, these steel doors will need new frames and hinges as well."

Eric waved his hand indicating that they were not to trouble themselves about it, "No thank you boys, I really appreciate the offer but won't be necessary. I can put up something temporary from both doors. Julia and I are safe and that is what counts."

Eric escorted them to the door, thanked them again and watched as they drove off. Turning back critically eyeing Julia he checked her once again for any injuries, "are you all right my dear?"

"Yes, I am fine Eric, it was almost like that thing had targeted me and was determined to attack me no matter what. I have to admit I was frightened. I suppose we need to secure the front door, then the lab needs to be cleaned before we being our experiment tomorrow."

Eric hugged her close. "You go on down and start with the lab my dear. I will get on the doors and get us secure." Julia held tightly to Eric and sighed softly.

"I will get on it shortly. I just want to go change and then will join you in the lab." Eric pushed her back, looked deep into her eyes then kissed her passionately.

"Go on and change we will deal with the lab later, maybe once we get the doors secured, we can go to the Blue Whale for a drink then come back to deal with the lab."

Willie drove up in front of the Blue Whale; he sat a moment looked around and then slid out of the truck to saunter into the Whale. Letting his gaze sweep the room, he saw Beth sitting quietly in the corner sipping on a beer. Seeing her tall statuesque form quietly tucked away in the corner brought an immediate smile to his face. Moving towards her table he paused, looked around, and then cleared his throat. "Um, hi." He watched for her reaction at his being near her table. He was immediately happy to see her smile.

"Willie, hi! Come join me for a beer and tell me what you have been up to." She scooted around to look at him with a welcoming smile.

Willie did not need to be told more than once; he slid right across from her. "Well I was kind of looking for you. I went by the Doc's house and they told me you were here, so I thought what the hell, why not go have a beer with her so here I am."

Beth's eyes were a light with her feelings and from the way Willie was judging her, she was genuinely happy to see him. "Well I am glad you did." She turned and signaled Bob over. "Bob will you get Willie a beer?"

Willie reached into his pocket to pull out a couple of dollars only to feel her hand on his arm. "No Willie this is my treat, you can get the next round." Willie took his hand out of his pocket laying it on the table he smiled.

"Thanks, Bob next round is on me." He glanced up at the cherubic face of the bartender that had become a staple of the Blue Whale. Bob Rooney had been a part of the Blue Whale for as long as anyone could remember. He was the brother of the owner and was always there Johnny on the spot doing what he did best and that was tending the bar day and night. Willie wondered if Bob had a life outside that bar as he watched him walk away from their table.

"So what have you been up to Beth? Do anything interesting lately?" Willie wanted to make conversation and not have those uncomfortable silences that seemed to bomb most couples when they were stuck together.

Beth played with the glass in front of her; she studied it the said softly. "Not much, Dr. Lang had me go pick up some equipment with Harry Johnson the other day and he was a total and complete creep, he kept trying to touch me in ways no man should unless they are invited to by a woman."

Willie frowned it seemed he would have to have a little talk with Harry Johnson, perhaps a good thump would be attention getting enough to keep him from pestering Beth. "You leave Johnson to me Beth, you don't need to worry about him any more. After I talk to him, he won't bother you again."

Beth had sensed if she said something to Willie he might champion her and get Johnson to leave her alone. "Thank you Willie. He is just a creep and he keeps pestering me for a date or more and frankly I don't like him and don't think so." She sipped her drink then set it down.

Bob brought Willie's drink; while Beth fished out a couple of dollars she laid it on the table. "That enough Bob?" She smiled while watching Bob scrape the money from the table.

"Yep, that is just fine Miss Beth. Now you watch this fella here, he is out to steal your heart if you aren't careful." He teased Willie and Beth allowing them to stare in one another's eyes while he walked back to the bar. If he had timed it right the college crowd would be coming in shortly.

Beth blushed then looked down speaking softly, "Are you going to steal my heart Willie?" she played her long slender fingers along the glass then peered up catching him off guard and completely open to her assessment.

Willie was thunder struck. He would love to steal her heart but thought he did not have a chance past a few friendly beers. His boyish smile played across his features he looked down at his beer and blushed, "Depends on whether or not you want me ta steal it. I don't like ta steal. I gotta admit there was a time I would take what did not belong to me because I wanted it."

Beth watched his face flush and knew he was thinking about her in that way. "And now? What would you do now?" She reached over and took his fingers in her hand. She watched his fingers curl around her hand then listened to his voice that softened.

"Now, I guess I would ask you, if you would let me borrow your heart for a while and promise not to bruise or hurt it." He glanced up and his face was red as a beat.

She smiled, "What if I just gave it to you. Would you still keep that promise?" Her voice matched his with a soft hint of a flirtatious tease.

Willie was in a spot he had never been before except around his mother only not in this way. He wanted to be with Beth but only if she wanted to be with him. "I would promise you not to hurt you, to keep your heart safe with me always."

"Then Willie I give you my heart and only ask you don't hurt it or me" He smiled his eyes alight with the excitement of the first flush of love and not lust. He lifted her hand like he had seen Barnabas do with Vicki and kissed her knuckles.

"I accept your heart and promise to treat it with respect and love it enough to not hurt it." He watched her eyes while she studied him with a broad smile across her face. "Does this mean we are going steady?"

Beth laughed, "Well if we were in high school I would say that would be considered going steady, but as adults I think it is like we are dating regularly one another only."

"Then I want to be your boyfriend and I want us to . .. He thought about it, "court." He had remembered that was what Barnabas said he and Vicki were doing.

Beth smiled, "Oh very old fashion, I must admit though I like that term the best. Yes, we shall court."

The door opened and Harry Johnson moved into the room. His beady little eyes traveled the room and saw Beth in the corner with that loser Loomis; he made a beeline right for Beth. Harry's first mistake was ignoring Willie he stood to Beth's side and poked her. "Move over, let me sit."

Willie was sitting with his arms cross in front of his beer, hunched over the table; the glare he gave Harry was far from pleasant. He had his jaw clinched and his right knee was beginning to bounce he watched Harry harass Beth.

Beth's eyes flashed with annoyance and irritation. "You move over, as a matter of fact, why don't' you go find another table and leave me the hell alone Johnson!"

Harry's second mistake was he did not recognize Willie's body shift to stand Pushing up to stand over Harry, Willie nodded to the bartender. "Excuse me Johnson but you are interrupting my date."

Bob identified trouble the minute it walked through the door, he had not tended bar for over thirty years not to know when all hell was going to break loose. Johnson had been a problem for Sarah Johnson from the day he turned old enough to know better but refused to follow his mother's dictates. Now he watched and waited. He knew Willie had a temper although for the past three years he had mellowed, that was due to the influence of Barnabas Collins so he had no problems with Willie. Now a mixture of two male cocks ready to fight over a hen that was something entirely different.

Harry cocked his head and with a smirk on his face turned to glare his superior annoyance then made his final mistake. "Why don't you blow off Loomis? Everyone knows what a looser you are and an ex-con."

Willie stepped into his next action with a fluid grace, wrapping his arm up under Harry's shoulder and armpit, he jerked his arm up his back by the wrist, pressed into his body and said harshly, "Outside Con!" Though the words were softly said, he made his point while he led the man out of the bar.

Bob came around the bar to follow and Willie was quick to send him back. "Got this Bob, not to worry, Johnson and I are going to have a little heart to heart." He jerked his arm nearly dislocating it from the shoulder. "When we are done, I am sure Mr. Johnson will not be returning. Why not give Beth another beer and bring me a fresh one, I will be right back to pay."

Bob knew as well as he knew his name what Willie was going to do when he saw Willie use Harry's head to open the door. Watching them disappear into the darkness; Bob went back to tending bar debating on whether or not he should call George Patterson.

Willie listened to the whine of Harry for about one minute. Escorting him none to pleasantly to the rear of the Blue Whale and onto the dock area,. Willie threw Harry against the wall following with the weight of his own body, Willie shoulder pinned Harry's face to the wall. Taking his hand and placing it against the back of his head, he pushed his head into the wall hitting his forehead against the rough surface of the shingles that coated the side of the building Willie took satisfaction in hearing him whale. "Stop it Bitch! I am gonna fuck you up!"

Willie pressed up into his back near his ear. "Looks like you are my bitch and you are the one being fucked up." To make his point Willie moved his knee none to gently up between his legs and tapped him hard in his scrotum. Harry felt like he was about to throw up he choked down the bile in the back of his throat. "Now, here is the deal big bad ass con boy. You are a girlie bitch as far as I am concerned. I don't like being ignored and I sure as hell don't like anyone jacking with my girl. Yes, my girl and Beth is mine we are going out and have decided we want to be with each other and no one else."

With each statement made Willie had bopped his head against the wall the 'thunk, thunk, thunk sound giving Willie great satisfaction. "So the next time you harass her, try to be anything other than a gentleman. You are going to find me breathing down your nasty ass back and I won't be as nice next time. Got it?" He slammed his head into the wall stepped back watched him wobble then fall to the dock. Harry moaned softly on the dock and as a reminder, Willie took his foot; rolling him into the ocean. "You stink you need a bath, now don't let me see you back around here again if I am here with Beth got it?"

Willie had barely winded himself with his efforts he watched Harry swim for the ladder at the end of the low hung dock area. He knew he was freezing cold in that water but he did not care, he had pissed him off and now he knew who was the cell boss in this block. Willie entered the Whale again looked up and smiled, "Bob I took the trash out. It needed a bath." He walked over to a relieved looking Beth. "You don't have to worry about him bothering you again and if he does you let me know right away."

With the advent of Willie returning, the room began to fill up with the weekend college crowd moving in to claim their rights of passage at the local beer joint. Willie sat back; picked up his beer tipped it up and swallowed it with two gulps "I guess ass kicking makes you thirsty."

Beth gaze said it all. She was thinking he was her hero for protecting her from the very disagreeable and very obnoxious Harry Johnson. "Thank you Willie, he really has been a pain lately. He thought he was God's gift to me and frankly I was considering putting in my notice and leaving this place because of him." The juke box was jacked up loud and blaring Crimson and Clover the laughter was growing louder than Willie like because he wanted to talk to her and he wanted to get to know her and then he wondered when he had gotten old.

This crowd would have been his type of crowd, not that they were kids with brains but they were kids that wanted to party and have fun. He used to be just like that but one day he got old and now they annoyed him because he could not hear his girl talking to him. "You want to blow this joint? Find a quiet place and have a beer in peace?"

Beth's eyes lit up, "Yah, sounds like a good idea." She reached for her coat and purse. Willie smiled escorted her to the bar, reached into his pocket and pulled out five bucks.

"Here you go Bob for the beers." He smiled and knew he was giving him a fairly nice tip and probably would regret giving away that much money for now it was worth it.

Bob pushed it back, "Keep it Willie, consider it a bouncer's fee, drinks are on me tonight." His face split with a wide smile he pushed the money back to Willie. Turning to Beth he gave her a wink. " You keep an eye on that boy. He is a keeper!"

Beth stepped up to Willie's side sliding her arm around Willie's arm. Hanging on his arm, she smiled and winked back. "Thanks you Mr. Rooney, I will keep that in mind."

Willie moved her out to his truck and opened the door. "There is this place up the road called Q's place, they got nice music and if you don't want to listen or dance you can get a table near the heated balcony."

Beth sighed, "Or we could go to Lookout Point, its not as far and is kind of nice and quiet."

"Is that where you want to go? I thought Q's place because Quentin Collins owns it but if you want we can go to Lookout Point."

Beth had not realized that a Collins had a business near Portland but kept her surprise to herself. "I would like Lookout Point, it's quiet and kind of romantic."

Willie shut the door, moved to the driver side, "Then Lookout Point it is."

Eric pulled the car into the parking lot of Q's. "I thought you said we would go to the Whale." Julia mused she waited for him to get her door. The mess at the house with the doors had been fixed quickly.

Eric had drawn on his pre-teen and teen years of helping his father build and woodwork around their family house. His father had been a world-class heart surgeon surgeon but his love had been in creating something from nothing. Watching something from wood come to life as a chair, table, and dresser, a building for storage. It had been his dream to be something other than a doctor or a specialist. Because his family dictated his directions for a livelihood, he choose to specialize in heart disease and Eric followed his father's footsteps but took it to new level into two areas, research and orthopedics.

However, just like his father, he had a love for creating, where he sculpted body parts he could also wield a drill and a hammer pretty good. It was with a keen eye and a quick placement of boards with screws and a drill, Eric had the door back on the hinges and the broken window pane areas covered, the back door back up and the area swept when Julia moved down the stairs in a comfortable pair of jeans and sweater.

"Well I would say you were well worth the wait. Come on my sweet, we need a drink and to relax before we tackle the basement. Tomorrow we make history, if for no others than Barnabas and us." Taking her elbow he led her to the door and out to their car.

"I meant to ask you my dear, when do you think we could set our wedding date? I really would like to make you mine for ever and permanently."

Julia laughed, "Do you think you are going to loose me or have someone else come along to take me away from you?" She liked this teasing with him. "That someone more charming, more handsome, more influential would come along and sweep me off my feet and take me away to some exotic location that I would never want to return?"

He laughed which caused her to laugh with him. "Well maybe not that drastic." he replied with a chuckle he navigated the car towards Q's. Julia noticed the direction they were headed.

"Blue Whale is in the other direction." She absently commented. Watching the passing scenery. Her thoughts were on their discussion.

"I know but I also remembered the college kids would be tearing up the juke box and the dance floor." He watched for the exit to Portland. Seeing it reflected in his headlights he navigated the car over to the exit lane, slowed and rolled to a stop. Watching the passing traffic he eased into the lane and then it happened.

From behind the crashing sound and the forward motion sent Eric's car careening across the highway to feel an impact that T-boned the car knocking Julia into the driver's side to lay against Eric's body that was now curved into the side of his car.

For a moment the world had spun and the car had threatened to topple off the edge of the precipice it edged against. Eric felt his legs pinned and Julia lay unconscious against him. Afraid to move Eric did not want to move for fear of sending them both down to certain death. Aware and afraid he tried to slowly move his arm to check Julia for a pulse and could not find one. "Dear God no. Please let it be nothing more than my unable to feel it." He muttered as he felt his own consciousness beginning to fade.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

What was that annoying sound? It was really irritating the semiconscious form of Julia Hoffman lay in the bed. She was aware her world was a massive wave of pain that was flooding over her body and even her hair hurt. There it was again, a steady rhythmic sound of beep, beep, and beep. It was almost like a heartbeat the way it kept beeping. Then it dawned on her, it was a heart monitor. But whose heartbeat was being monitored? She shifted and found it hurt more to move. Unintentionally Julia let out a soft moan.

Nurse Jackson heard the moan. Moving quickly to her side, the nurse checked her vitals. Finding them stable and growing stronger she spoke softly, "Julia, can you open your eyes?" Her voice was pressing and insistent. Julia felt her eyes want to open and with effort she opened her eyes and peered unfocused "Eric?" She asked with a voice that did not want to function.

"He is in intensive care across the hallway Julia, he is in better shape than you." Julia felt her throat dry and scratchy.

"Water?" She laid her head back and looked at the monitor that had brought her to consciousness. She lifted her head to allow the straw to be placed in her mouth. Sipping slowly she sighed the water eased the pain of her throat.

"What happened?" she asked after getting her fill of the water. She laid her head back and sighed again relieved she had not stressed her body more.

"You were in a very bad accident near here. You were hit from the rear and your side was T-boned. That is why you were hurt more than Dr. Lang."

"Why the monitor?" she closed her eyes and tried to remember the last thing she could before she slipped into unconsciousness.

"During surgery to repair some internal damage, your heart quit beating, they got it going again. So we are monitoring the heart to make sure you don't lose the heartbeat again without us knowing."

Julia nodded her head and moaned again, her hair really did hurt. "Good, so how bad were we hurt?"

"Doctor Lang suffered two broken legs, a spinal injury, and a concussion. You suffered a ruptured spleen and a depressed lung, five broken ribs, and a broken ankle and dislocated shoulder. Your heart stopped so they got you back and that is why you are here along with Dr. Lang across the hallway.

"So you are telling me that I won't be dancing for a while." Julia tried to be glib but found it was too hard to be funny when you were in so much pain.

The nurse did chuckle. "I suppose that you are right. Do you need anything before I leave you to go check on Dr. Lang?" Julia shook her head. "No, not now, thank you."

Vicki walked along the pathway to the old house. Her mind was on the beauty that surrounded her in the woods. The leaves were turning and there was softness underfoot. The soft crunch of the leaves allowed her to recall days gone by when she was at the foundling home enjoying the leaves they raked up to jump in them and throw them in the air to watch the wind catch them and blow them down the street.

She had been thinking that she would like to take David and have him help her rake the leaves and maybe they could play with them like she used to do. The sound of the surf filtered through the densely populated woods. She could smell the brine from the ocean in the air and knew they were in for an early fall storm.

Bending she picked up a switch and playfully swung it around like a fairy's wand, "I claim you to be the bearers of fall and all its wonders!" She laughed she played her fairy princess game moving along the pathway. The crunch of the leaves echoed through out the woods she stepped lively along waving her imaginary wand. She neared the old house with a little sigh she discarded the stick, wiped her hands on her coat, then moved on up to the front entrance of the old house.

Knocking lightly on the door, she waited for Willie to answer. She did not have long to wait. When the door opened she smiled. It was Barnabas that had answered the door. "Why hello! I did not expect t see you home." He opened the door for her to step into the room, stepping aside to allow her entrance.

"I did not have anything to take me out of the city today so I decided to stay home and was planning on joining you. Before I had to go to Dr. Lang's house."

Vicki pulled her coat off, handed it to him, moving into the drawing room to sit on one of the fireside chairs. "Oh, I guess you had not heard." She frowned she thought about how to tell him about Julia and Eric.

"Heard what my dear?" He joined her in the other fireside chair. Sitting he bridged his fingers together delighted she had come by when she had. He gave her his rapt attention while he waited for her to explain what she had said.

"Oh, late last night Julia and Eric were involved in a horrible automobile accident. They both were transported to Portland General, where they are in the Intensive Care Unit." Vicki was obviously upset by the unsettling news.

"Oh dear, this does sound serious. Do you suppose we should go see them and find out what happened?" Barnabas was immediately concerned for his two friends and doctors.

"I was going to tell Willie to ask you to come over so we could go later. However, now you are here, I am of a mind that we go now if you would like?" She sat up, with her toes pointed on the floor and her hands held in her lap primly.

"Just allow me to go tell Willie and we can go, then have dinner perhaps at Q's afterwards." It was a perfect solution of providing nourishment for them both and having a pleasant evening with Vicki.

Barnabas stood with Vicki outside in the waiting room watching the clock on the wall. They had been told that in I.C.U. that they would only be allowed twenty minutes on the quarter after hour. They were ten minutes away of going in to see Julia and Eric. Vicki held onto Barnabas' arm while they waited for the time to pass. Barnabas was curiously looking about the room at the new improvements bigger hospitals had to offer. He was impressed by this advancement from his time and was saddened that it had to come to late for his dear sister.

Vicki glanced up to see the time had finally arrived and together they walked down the hallway towards the rooms she knew that Eric occupied and then the one Julia was in. Entering Eric's room, they saw his legs were elevated and in a heavy cast while he was in a very uncomfortable looking back brace. His head was bandaged and he looked very much like one of his experiments gone wrong.

"Hello you two glad to see you. Please excuse me if I don't get up to properly welcome you." Eric tried to appear upbeat and in good humor.

Barnabas smiled, "It is not necessary my dear friend. It would seem you have found yourself in quiet a predicament here."

Vicki moved to his side, fluffed his pillow and gently arranged the blanket around his body. "We are going to see Julia too. I know you must be in a lot of pain and really should rest and not be bothered. We just had to come and check on you."

Eric sighed deeply, "I am glad to have the company. It gets very boring in here without company and of course your company is very welcomed."

Vicki gently patted his shoulder, "Well we had to come and make sure you are doing well."

Eric frowned, "I am well enough Julia was the one that I was the most concerned over, she got hit hard by the other car in the opposite lane. It T-boned her side and knocked her body in to me. There for a while, I thought we had lost her she was bleeding internally and there was nothing I could do for her."

The tone of his voice told it all. He really loved her and was very upset over the accident. "We both would have been dead if this truck driver had not come along when he had. My car had been knocked over near a eighty foot precipice and would have plunged to the bottom had this man not had the presence of mind to anchor my car with his truck and pull me back."

"Really? How is that possible?" Vicki was curious about what he had just told them not able to visualize the procedure.

"He saw the accident and realized my car was about to plunge to the valley, he carefully took chains from his truck, he was in a flat bed and had been hauling trees to the lumber yard, he took his chains attached them to the bottom of my car, then used a wench to pull my car back from the edge of the cliff we were hanging from. It was all very daring and quite exciting."

It had sounded very exciting to hear him recall the saving of he and Julia. "My goodness, you were very lucky Eric, we are so glad that you were rescued." Vicki reassured him with her compassion.

Barnabas looked around then to Vicki. "My dear as much as Eric is enjoying our company, we really need to go check on Julia, would you be a dear and head on over and I shall join you."

Vicki smiled, patted Eric's shoulder then leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Get well soon friend."

Barnabas moved to Eric's side. "I am going to give you something to help you heal Eric." Barnabas bit his wrist then pressed it to his mouth. "Sip of my blood and it will help speed up your healing." Eric pressed his lips to taste the blood then drank the blood feeling an instant bitter taste but a warm feeling in his body. When he had enough Barnabas covered his sleeve. "That will help you."

Eric looked up gratefully for the offering "I would have loved to have replicated the properties of your blood to use to heal those that need it."

With one last look Barnabas moved to the door, "Then I suggest you get some before we do the life force transference."

"Barnabas in my lab there is a bottle with some serum in it. You may wish to go and get it. There are syringes in the cabinet against the back wall; you may wish to give yourself an injection by tomorrow. This will keep you from craving the blood. I also have several bottles of blood in the refrigerator. Oh and we had an accident in the basement, an errant wolf tried to attack us there and made a mess. However the serum is on the back table and it will be blue in color."

"Thank you Eric, heal well and return to us soon."

Vicki stood by Julia's bed noting the bruising and her black eyes from her broken nose. "Oh Julia is there anything I can do for you?" Vicki had fluffed her pillow and recovered her.

"I am fine Vicki really. Oh there is Barnabas." Julia managed a smile for Barnabas' benefit upon entering her room.

"Yes my dear here I am. You look ghastly. Did you get the name of the perpetrator of such a heinous act on your body?"

"I did and apparently they were drunk driving when they ran into us." Julia shifted, grimaced and the settled back against the bed. "I hate hospital beds they are so uncomfortable."

The public address system for the Intensive Care Unit announced that visiting time was ending and all visitors would have to leave. "Vicki my dear would you be so kind as to go tell the nurse where they can reach us and if Dr. Lang or Dr. Hoffman need anything to feel free to call us?"

He watched Vicki leave turned to Julia and reopened the wound on his wrist. "Julia quickly, please take some of my blood. It will help you heal faster." Just like he had done with Eric, he now pressed his wrist to Julia's mouth and felt her lick his wrist then drank from him. Finishing he gently took his finger and wiped the spillage from the corner of her mouth.

"We will be here for you and Eric. If you need anything my dear call me or Victoria, we will see you get it." Barnabas turned to see Daphne standing in the doorway dressed in her nurse's uniform. "Daphne, your Aunt needs you my dear, good evening to you both."

Willie sat outside Lang's house he had heard what had happened and felt sorry for the Doctors. Reaching into the back of his truck, he pulled out the glass panes that needed to be replaced in the door for the front. Carrying the panes to the front door, he leaned them against the wall, then moved back to his truck to get his tool box. Moving back up to the door, he carefully removed the wood panels and then the door from the hinges. Beth had given him the key earlier so he could get into the house.

She had a class at the university and would be home soon. That is why Willie was more determined to get the door fixed before she got home. Just thinking of her gave him a smile while he worked he began to whistle a pretty chipper tune. He had not been this happy in a long time and now he was more than happy, he thought he was in love. This must be what its like to fall in love with someone and Beth made him feel good inside and out.

Finishing up his project he stood back to look at his handiwork and it looked good. "Damn I am good." He smiled he packed up his tools then heard the car door slammed and turned to see Beth trekking up to the front porch. "Hiya gorgeous. Have a good day at school?"

Beth leaned over to kiss his cheek shifting her books in her arms. "it was a bunch of dull history stuff about the American Revolutionary War which I did not understand." He opened the door for her.

"Allow me my dear one." He followed her into the house. "Now where is that other door that needs to e fixed?" Willie glanced around looking for Harry. "Where is your roommate?" He really didn't care; he was making small talk to pass the time with her.

'He left last night, when he came home he was all wet and left me his wet clothing to wash, then he went out again and I thank god have not seen him since." Beth led him down the hallway to the stairs to the lab and then down the stairs to the lab. "Here you go my sir Galahad! The door is the one to the rear entrance of the basement."

Willie checked it out and determined that a whole new door would be needed, preferably one that was pre-hung. "Hey babe, I am going to run to the hardware store and pick up a steel door and I will be back, you gonna ok while I am gone?"

Beth found him endearing. "I will be fine and I will fix us some supper after you are done, we can sit down and have a good meal."

Willie liked the sound of it. "You got it babe. Be right back." Willie with a jaunty step to his walk moved to the front door and to his truck. He was going to make it quick to get to his truck and then back so he did not have to spend anytime away from his girl and he liked the sound of that, 'his' girl.

Willie and Beth sat at the big dining room table. The plates were filled with the aftermath of their dinner. "So, I was told this truck driver actually saved their lives, he put his chains on the bottom of Dr. Lang's car and then pulled it with some kind of machine he had on his truck, it kept the car from falling off the cliff it hung on. The driver of the car that hit them was killed instantly and the other car that hit Dr. Hoffman's side of the car well he is in bad shape too."

"Do they know why he hit them," Willie lifted his tea glass and drank then set it down and waited for an answer from Beth.

Beth picked up her glass, sipped from it, and then set it down. "I only know rumors. They say he was drunk and had an argument with his wife and was driving like a hundred miles an hour when Dr. Lang pulled out in front of him. The impact was so intense it knocked them across the freeway and into the path of another car. Dr. Hoffman was hurt really bad and she nearly died."

"What about the damage here? What happened to the doors?" Willie sat back, he was happy as a pig in mud being there with her talking like old friends.

Beth brightened and then shivered, "There was this huge wolf and it chased Julia down the hallway to the lab, It must have been one strong wolf to breakout the door and those steel doors are not light weight. It broke it off and then tore up the lab. Dr. Lang and Dr. Hoffman had to hide in the storm room downstairs."

"Must have been pretty pissed off to come into the house like that. Wolves usually don't enter buildings unless they are feeling cornered or they are mad." Willie observed dryly he finished off the rest of his tea.

Barnabas sat quietly next to Vicki, "Would you mind my dear when we are through eating to take me by Eric's house? He wanted something from his lab."

"Not in the least, so where do you want to go eat?" She navigated the car around the traffic with due care and caution. She had see what a nasty wreck could do to person and could only imagine what the car looked like after seeing the damage to the two occupants.

"I thought I would leave that to your discretion my dear. Is there any place you would like to eat tonight?" Barnabas was distracted, he knew he would be feeling the blood lust soon and wanted to be home before it took ahold of him and he did something he would later regret.

"How about Lookout Point?" Vicki offered and Barnabas agreed.

"Sounds lovely my dear. I am actually very hungry and want to make sure you are properly fed." The rest of the trip was spent in their observations of the injuries and circumstances of Eric's and Julia's injuries and accident.

Vicki pulled the car into the parking lot and shut the engine off. "Well here we are." She waited for him to come around and open her door. Sliding out of the car she took his arm and followed him to the entrance of Lookout Point. Entering they found the room comfortable and more upbeat than the Hospital. Waiting to be seated, Vicki glanced around the room and saw Carolyn with Trask. "I see someone else had the same idea to come here." Carolyn and Trask seemed to be caught up in each other that they had noticed them.

Secretly, Vicki was glad that Carolyn had not seen them. She did not want to share a table with Trask he made her nervous and she did not like him that much. Perhaps it was because he reminded her so much of his great, great grandfather the Reverend Trask. Walking to the opposite corner of the room, Vicki was relieved that the waiter had placed them in the corner away from others so that she and Barnabas could have a nice quiet dinner and then head to Lang's so he could get what Dr. Lang needed.

Roger entered the foyer and heard his sister's voice speaking really animated and filled with a sense of humor to someone in the drawing room. Hanging up his coat, Roger moved to the doors of the drawing room and saw a rather distinguished looking man that was paying more than cordial attention to his sister. "Oh Roger do come in and meet Xavier Von Zwack, a good friend of Elliott's and Julia Hoffman." Liz was animated and eating up the attention that this man had lavished on her. Hearing her brother enter, Xavier stood up turned clicked his heels together and bowed.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Collins." Roger found him to be a bore and boorish in his actions.

Taking on a super snobbish attitude Roger nodded to him moved to give him a limp wristed shake of his hand. "Pleasure I am sure." His voice held a hint of annoyance at Liz for not warning him that they had company. He would have discovered it was one of those men that had come to visit Elliott and he would have easily made arrangements to dine out and have a drink away from here and him.

His attitude was annoying Liz and she showed it with her own cold look to Roger. "I need a drink care to join me Mr. Zwack?" Roger moved to the bar and poured himself a brandy then turned to Xavier. "A whiskey would be appreciated Mr. Collins."

Roger poured him the drink and handed it over to him. "What brings you back here, I thought your business was done." Roger moved to the sofa and sat. He watched Xavier over the top of his glass. He did not like the man there was something too smooth about him.

"Well we have concluded our business and my associates at least the majority of them have returned to Europe. For me, there is still some unfinished business I hope to conclude soon, once I get some information from Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Lang."

Roger studied his drink in his hand. "I suppose you are one of the few that have not been informed of what happened last night?" He cocked his head and studied the man for his reaction to what he was about to impart.

"Well obviously not, in what regard? I understood that the two doctors had an accident but nothing more than what was briefly reported on the news." Xavier was curious and showed with his body language that he had no idea how serious that accident had been.

"Well it would appear that small accident nearly killed Julia and Eric was injured enough that both of them were put in Intensive Care at Portland General. I was told Julia nearly died."

Xavier was shocked and distressed at such news. "You are joking correct" He wanted to believe this was Roger being an ass because he sensed he did not like him.

"I can assure you I do not joke about something as serious as this my dear man. They both were messed up rather badly in the accident and both are in Intensive Care, I understood that Julia's heart quit beating and they had to shock it back to get it working again. "

Xavier was truly upset hearing such news. "No I had no idea, well I suppose I shall be waiting around a little longer than I previously anticipated." Turning to Elizabeth he smiled, "Which allows me more time in your charming company my dear Elizabeth."

Roger frowned watching his sister simpered like some foolish schoolgirl with this man. "Will you two excuse me? I really need to wash up before supper." Rising he left them alone and headed up to his room. He thought he was going to be sick. Her acting so silly over some man.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Candlelight, soft music, and a romantic mood allowed the couple to share each other's company without interruption. Vicki could hear Carolyn's loud raucous laughter every now and then, as something must have amused her and sent her into that textbook loud laugh she had cultivated. "It sounds like Carolyn is having a good time with Mr. Trask." Barnabas noted dryly.

"Carolyn enjoys life to the fullest. She craves attention and the best way to get it is to laugh. Which is one of her best qualities and a trade mark for her." Vicki defended her friend. She was being gracious to not sound like she was chastising Barnabas for sounding critical.

"I suppose but I find your way of gaining attention to be far more preferable. It is more refined and demure. Whereas Carolyn is out going and gregarious." Barnabas had lifted her fingertips to his lips and gently pressed his lips to them.

Vicki curled her fingers into his hold and blushed as he spoke of her gentle qualities. "You know Carolyn could never be sedate. I find her refreshing and she can be just as loving and caring and I think she is falling in love with Trask." Vicki let her gaze go to the table that Trask and Carolyn occupied.

She noted they now had a bigger party at the table and were apparently were entertaining guests that were probably clients of Trask's. Barnabas followed her gaze noting the people with Trask and Carolyn being the center of attention. "It would appear she is in her element."

Carolyn sensing eyes on her turned her gaze and saw Vicki and Barnabas sitting quietly in the corner. Standing she excused herself from the group and made a beeline right for them. "Hey you two why did you not come to the table? We have loads of room and you both would be more than welcome to join us."

Barnabas smiled graciously holding Vicki's hand he apologized, "If you will allow me some small amount of time to be alone with the woman that occupies my mind and heart. We rarely get time alone."

Carolyn laughed again that loud attention grabbing laughter that filled the room and brought unwanted and unnecessary attention, which annoyed Barnabas, and it showed by the tensing of his hand on her hand. "Well, you two enjoy your night and if you are up for some more company. Come and join us. I am sure we can get them to push up two more chairs."

"Thank you Carolyn your very generous with your offer but we will enjoy this night quietly here." Barnabas smiled he spoke his words softly then turned his gaze to Vicki. "I find my partner to more captivating and I fear that makes me greedy for her company."

Carolyn rolled her eyes. "Well whatever flips your switch. You two have a great night." Barnabas stood took her hand and kissed it offering up his apologies to her invitation in the code of being a gentleman. Carolyn sighed, "Well you two have a great night." She turned and moved back to her table where she sat. "That was a friend of mine and my cousin, they are a thing and well they wanted to spend the night with each other when they could have spent it with our fabulous company."

Barnabas could hear her and frowned. "It seems that my cousin wishes to announce our reticent desire to join her party. That is rather offensive and rude of her to treat our feelings so coarsely."

Vicki smiled, "Barnabas it is Carolyn, who is still very young and new at being a hostess for a famous Attorney and all his upper echelon friends or clients. You have to remember her age."

"My dear, I am considering your age, and our relationship and find you are far to generous to allow such trivialities to affect you and your demeanor. Perhaps that is why I find you so charming and endearing."

Vicki figured since their presence was known, that maybe they could have one dance together before they left. The band began to play a soft slow dance. Smiling she squeezed his hand. "I think on that note, I would very much like to dance with you."

They ended their evening together with a short drive to Eric Lang's house. The general talk had been about their day's activities, had Vicki examined the conversation closer she would have discovered the topic was more of what she had done that day.

Vicki pulled the car into Eric Lang's driveway. "Do you want me to come with you?" She looked around at the house's exterior finding the place to be charming. "This is such a lovely house. Very much indicative of the Victoria Period." Leaning back she smiled she thought about the Colonial Period House that Barnabas restored.

"You may wait here if you wish, I saw Willie's truck when we arrived, I won't be long. He wanted his bag from the cellar. So, I should not delay us for long. Although if you would feel more comfortable waiting for me inside the house. It would allow you to visit with Willie and Beth. I leave the choice entirely up to you."

"I think I would like to join you. I could meet Beth and she could get to know me." Vicki unlocked her door and waited for Barnabas to come around and open it. "You know one of these days I am going to teach you how to drive."

"Do you think I could learn to adjust to this type of driving?" He held her arm as he escorted her to the front porch steps.

"I do know they drive on the opposite side of the streets in England, and the stirring column is on the opposite side. But everything else is the same. I feel you could learn whatever you think you could learn should you decide to do it. Speaking of learning. I did enroll in some classes at the University. "

He moved her up the steps and stopped looking at the door. "It appears that Willie has repaired the door adequately. " Barnabas rapped smartly on the door stepped back to wait for someone to answer the door.

Beth glanced up and frowned. "I was not expecting anyone." She moved from the table followed by Willie. Approaching the door she could make out two figures through the beveled glass. "Looks like a man and a woman."

Willie stepped up opening the door he smiled. "Hello Barnabas Vicki, what brings you by at this hour?" Willie opened the door to allow them access into the house. Barnabas allowed Vicki in first following her in.

"I promised Dr. Lang that before I came to visit again I would pick up his medical bag. There was something in it he needed."

Willie turned to Beth, "Beth, this is my boss Barnabas Collins and his friend Vicki Winters." Willie made a quick introduction to her.

"Nice to meet you both. You know I could take the bag to Dr. Lang if he really needed it." She shook Vicki's hand and flushed when Barnabas kissed her hand.

Barnabas smiled, "That is all right my dear, he told me what he wanted in the bag and I agreed to get it for him. I consider it a debt of honor to bring him what he requested. He did want me to remind you to make sure that the glass was cleaned up and the broken furniture was disposed of and that you were to enjoy you break from his demands."

Beth was touched," I see, why don't you follow me. I will show you to the basement lab."

Willie shook his head. "Beth why don't you stay here and I can take Barnabas downstairs." He rubbed her arm for reassurance that it would be okay to let him to this. Willie turned, "This way Barnabas."

Vicki looked around at the interior of the house and commented. "This really is a lovely old home."

"Yes, its very Victorian in style and the antiques are incredible." Beth led Vicki around the house showing her the home with a modicum of pride while she gave her the tour. The door opened and both women looked up to see Harry Johnson entering looking slightly inebriated.

Harry with total open lewdness eyed Vicki up and down. "Who is your friend Beth, she is very pretty." He moved towards the women, which also allowed them to smell he had been drinking heavily.

Vicki looked around for Barnabas or Willie, her alarms going off this man was trouble. "This is Miss Winters, she works at Collinwood."

"Collinwood eh? Then you know my mom. Sarah Johnson?" He leaned against the table and pressed in close to Vicki. Loomis said to leave Beth alone he said nothing about her friends. "Do you know her?"

Vicki shifted away from the obnoxious man. "Yes, I know Mrs. Johnson very well. She is a very nice lady whom I respect and admire greatly. She never told me she had a son."

"Yeah figured she wouldn't not since I got sent off to prison." He smiled almost appearing to be proud of the fact he was a convict at one time.

Willie stood in the doorway. "Johnson, you got some place you gotta be?" Willie stepped over protectively to Beth's side. "Vicki he bothering you?" Willie nodded to Johnson.

Vicki's smile tensed, as she spoke carefully, "No not really Willie we were talking about Mrs. Johnson, this is her son." Willie eyed Johnson.

"I know who he is and his mother would not like some of the things he has been involved in. So words of caution Johnson, Miss Winters is a personal friend of mine and she is just like Beth not to be messed with understood?"

Harry held up his hand, "Yeah whatever Loomis, you got exclusive rights on all the good lookin women in the area. I got it no need to slam my head into the wall again." Harry pushed from the table and staggered down the hallway.

"What a disagreeable young man." Vicki said under her breath. "I sure feel sorry for Mrs. Johnson. He must have been a hand full while growing up."

Beth shivered, "He has been really annoying to me trying to push his attention on me and trying to touch me where I did not want him to touch me."

"I am sure that Mrs. Johnson would be horrified if she knew. I am sorry he objectified you. Poor Mrs. Johnson. " Vicki commented while Willie and Beth led Vicki to the dinning room.

Barnabas moved around the lab and found the beaker that Dr. Lang had said held his serum for his special condition. Moving to the cabinet against the wall, he pulled out five syringes. Turning he moved to the beaker with the blue fluid.

Looking at the fluid he studied it. Eric had said blue; this was the only fluid that held a diluted bluish tint to it. He lifted the beaker and studied it further. It held a blue hue along with a sea green color that coated the top part of the serum.

Setting the bottle down, he took the syringe and did as he had seen Julia do and began to draw the fluid up into the needle. He watched the fluid fill the vial that would hold and then dispense the fluid into his body. After he had drawn the fluid up into the syringes with care he placed them in the black doctor's bag he had come to fetch. As a precautionary matter, he went ahead and filled up five more syringes.

Glancing around the room. Feeling confident that he was able to accomplish this part of the task to prevent him from going into a blood lust, one of which had caused him to attack Vicki viciously one night. He never wanted to go through a horrible incident like that again. Lifting the bag he paused as he listened with his keen hearing to the voices above. There was an unfamiliar one that had caught his attention. "So Sarah Johnson has a son that was a convict and he is annoying Vicki." He muttered softly and began to go up the stairs.

Pausing on the bottom steps he heard Willie take control of the situation. Pausing he listened and Willie put his foot down on Johnson he relaxed. Turning he moved to collect the bag with the syringes inside. Moving up the stairs he moved to the dining room, where he discovered Beth clearing the dinner off the table and Willie helping her. "I am ready my dear whenever you are done?"

Vicki had tried to help but was refused and stood patiently awaiting Barnabas return. "I am ready when you are." She turned to Willie and Beth. "Thank you both for showing me around and Willie you must have Beth come to the Old House sometime and I shall prepare us a meal and we can get to know one another better."

Barnabas escorted Vicki out of the front door to the car. Opening her door he waited for her to get in and then closed the door. Moving to the passenger side of the car, he deftly slid into the seat. "Did you have a pleasant visit?"

"I like her a lot Barnabas. I think she is good for Willie. He needed someone in his life and now there is Beth." Vicki was sounding upbeat and happy as she drove them back to the Old House. Pulling up in front of the front entrance she slipped the car into park. "Are you ready to retire, or would you like me to come in?"

Barnabas smiled, "Why Vicki, I always cherish your company. If you are not ready to retire we could have drinks and perhaps a game of cards or just to chat would be very nice."

Vicki chuckled, "Barnabas have you not realized by now how much I love being in your company? I cannot think of a time recently that I did not want to do anything else but be in your company and sharing time with you."

That had been the most sincere compliment he had received in a very long time. "Then my dear, I invite you to spend more time with me. I cannot think of a more enjoyable way to spend my evening than in the company of the woman that has held my heart from the day I have met her."

He had slid over to her side captured her lips kissing her deeply. Breaking the kiss he sighed, "I really must be a gentleman, when I am with you Victoria I must admit I am pressed to remember my good manners. It has been a very long time since I was with a woman physically and I want to respect you to the fullest of what you deserve.'

Vicki blushed, "I have to confess Barnabas when I am with you and we kiss, I wonder what it would be like to be with a man. But I made myself a promise a long time ago. That I would never give myself except to the man that would be my husband." She lowered her voice as she spoke.

Barnabas gently stroked the back of her neck and listened to what she was saying. He felt she was about to reveal something very personal and private to her. "Go on Victoria." He encouraged her with his softness.

She sucked her top lip in and chewed on it. Looking out the windshield she took a deep breath. "This is not easy for me to explain. I remember as a teen, that boys would try things with me and I would not let it happen, that I suppose was why I did not get a lot of dates. The other girls who had loose morals were popular with the boys and had dates. I spent a lot of time reading and I guess romanticizing. The one thing I made myself a promise was that I had one special gift I could give to the man that I had chose as my life partner. "

She took another deep breath and let it out slowly, "That man would be my husband and I would give him me. The part of me that would be special for the both of us." She turned to look at him and he was staring at her with a look of wonder.

In this day and age, he figured that most girls would experiment with sex and their bodies and that the thought of preserving their maidenhead had never been considered. He spoke softly as he asked, "Victoria are you telling me that you are still pure, that you still possess that part of you that they call the maiden's head?"

Vicki knew the term it was old and archaic but it still meant the same thing. "If you mean to ask me if I am still a virgin, yes Barnabas I am. I want to give my special gift to the man that will be my husband."

Barnabas was thrilled beyond measure, and now he fully understood why she had been targeted so much. She was not only pure of nature and heart she was also pure of body. He knew evil was attracted to the pure of heart and pure of body. The fact that she was considering giving herself to him made her even more endearing and charming in his estimation.

"Victoria, may I tell you something very personal to me?" He considered his words very carefully before he proceeded. "All my life I thought that the one woman that I would be in love with and a part of the rest of my life, would come to me as a virgin. Josephine was such a woman. Then I was to learn that she had been with another. It did not diminish my feelings for her. But it did disappoint me that I would not be her first. You must understand Victoria; I loved her deeply and with all my heart. I was not going to be her first but I certainly planned to be her last."

The heat in the car was beginning to dissipate and a slight chill was surrounding them; which caused her to shirk into her coat deeper she listened to what he was saying and knowing this was important she shifted sideways to try and peer at him in the darkening shadows that now surrounded them. "I was crushed when Josephine died, and the manner in which she died was devastating to me personally. I thought I would never love again. There were women that I had been attracted to because they were beautiful and they desired me or there was another form of an attraction but it was based on lust and not love."

He thought as he continued with his train of thought "I thought I had lost the ability to love but one woman and would love her for the rest of my life. Even after her death. Then suddenly there was the most perfect you; Victoria Winters. You were there with your sweet disposition, your kindness and consideration and most of all there was you as you. Then I knew I would love again. I of course respected the fact that you were engaged to Burke Devlin and accepted that fact and would cherish only your friendship. Then there was the accident that had taken Burke's life and you were alone. Now mind you, I was not about to pounce on you while you were vulnerable and in need of support and held you in the highest of regards."

He had reached for her hand and drew it to his lips to press small kisses to her fingertips. "I was not about to take advantage of you or the situation. I was prepared to support you and to be there for you for the rest of my life if it meant I could share company with you." Look down at his hand holding her fingers he spoke softly, "Now on to what I am trying to say to you Victoria Winters. It has been over a year since Burke died, you have had time to grieve and if you need more time I am prepared to wait longer. However, Miss Winters I am putting you on notice that at any time you know you are ready to accept me as a formal suitor for your hand in marriage, I shall pursue this to the end of time."

Vicki felt a sudden prick of tears she heard him declare his intentions. "Barnabas Collins, may I say this to you now. I would be honored to accept your proposal for marriage and would happily accept your petition to be the one and only man in my life to full fill my dreams and ideas of what love truly represents."

Barnabas felt his heart lighten when she spoke those words. He knew that he had secured her heart and now her permission to ask for her hand in marriage. "So, let me understand what you are telling me. That if I were to go and ask Elizabeth and Roger for your hand in marriage that you would not be opposed to the idea or the thought?"

Vicki leaned over and kissed him, she made the first move to secure her words within his heart. Cupping his face in her palms she smiled into his eyes and spoke softly, "Barnabas I love you. I would be honored to marry my best friend, the man that has always been there for me, the one man that has shown me how to live again after thinking I could never love again."

Barnabas laughed took her into his arms and then held her tightly next to his body. "Then my dearest love, shall we go to Collinwood so I can ask for your hand in marriage?" Vicki's head was spinning with the thought of this commitment he started to get excited about the prospect of having Victoria for his wife.

"Is that what you want to do? I would be perfectly happy to have you come back to Collinwood and speak to Roger and Mrs. Stoddard. That is if you really feel the need to do this Barnabas. I am perfectly happy to accept you into my life without anyone's permission. But I know you stand by convention and this is how you would wish to pursue my hand in marriage by asking them for it, then by all means shall we head there now?" Vicki turned and started the car she shifted into gear and drove to the front entrance of Collinwood. Taking a deep breath she turned and smiled, "You ready?"

He nodded, got out and moved to her side of the car, opened her door and moved with her into Collinwood. Helping her off with her coat, he slipped his off while Vicki went to the double doors of the drawing room and knocked. "Come in." Liz's voice was soft and muffled through the heavy doors.

Turning to Barnabas she practically beamed, opening the door they both moved into the room and stood side by side. "Why Barnabas and Vicki how nice to see you both together. I thought you had gone to the hospital and were going out to eat?"

Roger stood by the mantle his hand slid into his smoking jacket a drink in his hand. "So how are our two favorite doctors doing? They would not let Liz or I in to see them last night because they were post surgery."

Vicki held Barnabas' hand she let him update Liz and Roger on Julia and Eric's condition. "They are both awake and sore but should be moved to a regular room by tomorrow. They wanted to keep them a little longer for observation. I believe they will both be in rehabilitation for a while. Their injuries were very serious."

"I see is there anything that Liz or I can do to help them out? Would it be easier for them to recuperate here or at Eric's home?" Liz offered; her concern edging her face and her voice.

"I believe they have that managed with some help they hired." Barnabas responded then looked from Vicki to the two others in the room. "Roger and Elizabeth, I have something that I wish to ask both of you. Victoria and I were talking tonight and I asked her to marry me. She graciously accepted but I felt it necessary to come and ask for your blessing and permission to take Vicki's hand in marriage."

Elizabeth smiled stood up and moved to Roger's side. "Well I must say I have been expecting this and hope that you two will be terribly happy together."

Barnabas smiled, "Thank you Elizabeth, you have no idea what this means to me and you Roger? Do you agree? Do you wish us happiness and give your consent?"

Roger looked from Vicki to Barnabas, "I am not sure how I feel about this Barnabas, are you sure you two are not rushing into this, Burke has been gone a year do you really think you should be thinking of marriage this early?"

Vicki stepped forward the look of concern edged her eyes. "I know that I love Barnabas with all my heart Roger, and I hope you know that being his wife is very important to me. I had hoped to get your blessing because your opinion means that much to me."

Barnabas moved up behind her and placed his palms on her shoulders. He looked to Roger and awaited his answer.

Roger smiled, "Then by all means be a Collins you deserve this more than anyone I know my dear." Roger moved to her and took her hands in his. "I want you happy and if you can be happy with Barnabas, then you have my blessings."

Roger bent and put a light kiss on her forehead and stepped back to allow Elizabeth to embrace Vicki in a tight hug. "I am happy for you both as well."

Roger shook Barnabas' hand congratulating him then stepped back to allow Elizabeth to hug him. "So have you decided on a date?"

Barnabas smiled hugged Vicki close to his side and spoke softly, "Not as yet, we just decided tonight it was time to take our relationship one step further and now we have our blessings we can discuss dates." The evening ended on a happy note of good wishes. Vicki walked Barnabas to the edge of the pathway and smiled he gathered her into his arms. "You will be Mrs. Barnabas Collins, do you know how much that makes me happy?"

Vicki laughed, "As happy as I am I am sure." He kissed her good night and watching her move back to Collinwood. He watched her from sight then turned. "I know you are there Bradford, you might as well show yourself."

Barnabas turned to stare into the glaring gaze of Peter Bradford. "So, you and Miss Winters are going to be married?"

"We are, and you will not interfere with this union Bradford or I will end your existence where you stand."

Peter smirked. "We will see if it happens. The wedding date has not been set. Pray she does not find out about you Barnabas, or she like Josette will throw herself from Widow's Hill." With that said he disappeared into the darkening shadows of the night.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Vicki went to bed that night feeling oddly happy she thought about her roll of being the future Mrs. Barnabas Collins. Lying down she closed her eyes and felt she was not alone, lifting her head from the pillow, she saw a figure approach from the window. Screaming out in terror, she watched, the figure grew closer then hearing running footsteps down the hallway, the figure disappeared.

The lights went on blinding Vicki. Quentin burst into the room, looking around. "What happened?" Daphne was behind him she entered with Elizabeth followed by Roger. Vicki was still frightened; the figure had been so ominous looking.

"There was a man standing in the corner, and when I screamed he started towards me and well, when he heard you all running down the hallway, he just disappeared!" She moved from her bed, dragging her robe on as she stood.

All those in the room looked around to look the room over. "Could you have been dreaming?" Elizabeth asked while she moved to Vicki's side.

"I had not gone to sleep." Vicki spoke softly turning to plead her case to her friends. "There was no way that I could be dreaming. I had never gone to sleep." She reiterated.

"There, there my dear. Don't stress yourself. Why don't we all go back down stairs to the drawing room, and allow Quentin and Roger to search the floor. Perhaps he slipped out of the room and we missed him while we were coming up the stairs." Elizabeth tried to calm Vicki in her anxiety. Elizabeth moved with Vicki out of the door and guided her down to the drawing room while Roger and Quentin began to search the floor. Daphne sat on the sofa next to Vicki while Elizabeth moved to one of the wing back chairs.

"Vicki are you going to be all right? I know it must have been terribly frightening for you." Elizabeth looked with concern thinking of Vicki and her reaction to someone in her room. She knew she had to of thought she saw something or she was not the over reactive type.

Barnabas moved to his bedchambers, set the doctor's bag down and pulled out one of the syringes. Taking his jacket off, rolling up his sleeve; he took the needle and injected the serum into his arm. The serum burned like quick silver through his veins. He gritted his teeth from the burning sensation that coursed his body. The sensation the same as it had been in the beginning. Now however was very much different. Barnabas felt the sweat break out over his body. The pain began to become more intense he threw himself to the floor. Closing his eyes he felt his mind go blank and unconsciousness encompassed his being.

Opening his eyes he looked about the room with a blank and vacant look. Rising he moved to the door, the need to feed driving him to find someone that he could over take and drink his fill from their bodies. Moving out the door he glided in mist like form to Collinwood. Looking up to the window he knew was Victoria's he shifted and drifted again to her window and through the partially opened window to reform into his human form. Darkness encompassed his body obscuring him from her view.

It was her scream of terror and the sound of the approach of others that brought him out of his trance like state. Realizing what had happened, he transformed into his mist form and disappeared. Floating out the window to reform after he arrived back at the old house. What had happened to him? What had caused this relapse and loss of control? He moved to the bag and pulled out the syringes. How could he have lost his control and nearly jeopardize his future? Looking at the syringes filled with the serum he shook his head in concern and fear.

This would be something he would have to discuss with Lang and Julia as soon as possible. He did have to admit that he was no longer craving or going into a bloodlust. He was concerned that he had singled out Vicki as his first target. Taking the syringes he moved to the lab and put them on the lab table.

Going back upstairs Barnabas called Elliott Stokes. "Elliott, this is Barnabas Collins. Could I entice you to come to my house?"

"Why of course, is there a problem?" Elliott dropped his monocle looked around his home and to Xavier. "I still have company Barnabas do you object to my bringing Xavier with me?"

"Not in the least I have something I need you to look at and tell me what you think it is and why it had an affect that it had on me earlier. I will give you more information after you get here."

Barnabas rang off from Elliott. Going to the drawing room he sat and waited. Lost in thought he became aware of an engine of a vehicle. Standing he moved to the bay window. Looking out over the front lawn he saw Willie drive up and park his truck.

For once he was grateful that Willie was home. Moving to the foyer he waited for Willie to come in. "Willie, I need a favor."

Willie looked up surprised to see Barnabas in the hallway. "Sure, Barnabas what can I do for you?"

"I want you to sit with me and keep me occupied. I felt things tonight I had not felt in a long time and I need your help." His words were sincere and Willie could hear a hint of fear edging his voice.

"Sure Barnabas what ever you need." He paused a little afraid of the answer to the next question he was about to ask. "You didn't do somethin' that you should not have done did you?" Willie felt the old fear of the old days choke him as he wondered at this change in his boss. "I mean you did not go out to attack anyone did you."

"No, but I did nearly attack Vicki tonight. That would have been horrible especially after. . " His voice trailed off he thought about the joy he had felt earlier when she accepted his marriage proposal.

"After what Barnabas?" Willie could tell that Barnabas was very upset. He heard the tone of the voice and it spelled out all the anguish and tragedy he felt the last time he had attacked Vicki so viciously.

"She accepted my proposal of marriage tonight Willie. We sought out Elizabeth and Roger's blessings and they gave their blessings. We were both happy as we said our good nights to each other and then I ran into Bradford. He has come back and threatened my happiness with Vicki."

Willie moved with Barnabas into the drawing room. Moving to the fireside chair he sat down. Barnabas followed. "What happened to change this mood?" Willie was curious because his boss had been doing well. Even taking in more sunshine than he had in a while.

"Eric Lang told me to go to his lab and take the blue bottle of serum to give myself my injections. I did but the bottle had a different color to it. It was more a diluted color of blue with a greenish serum on top. I went ahead and drew the syringes up and gave myself a shot tonight and was thrown into unconsciousness. I really came out of it in Vicki's room."

"So that was why you wanted to get his doctor's bag. You needed to hide the serum in something so used his bag?" Willie had put together the reason he wanted to get the bag.

"Yes, that was why it was important to me to get the bag and not Miss Chavez" Barnabas sat back, closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath. Then he realized he had taken a breath and was surprised. "Willie! Do you know how to check for a pulse beat?"

"Yeah, sure I do why?" Barnabas was afraid to say he felt his body warm and his lungs fill with air. He was more afraid to think he could hear blood rushing through his veins. He was afraid of the fact that he still held his vampiric senses; but was also feeling alive. Taking breath, filling his lungs, feeling the warmth he had once felt before he had died and was reborn into this life? Willie stood and moved to his boss' arm and took his wrist pinching his fingers against the pulse point. Willie's eyes widen in surprise and shock. "I feel a faint heart beat Barnabas. It is really faint but it's a heart beat."

A sharp rap on the front door caused both men to look to the foyer. "That will be Professor Stokes will you please let him in?"

Willie stood paused to turn and look at Barnabas. Barnabas was sick and this worried him. Moving with a degree of reluctance to the door Willie paused, "Who is there?"

"Willie, it is Professor Stokes and Xavier Von Zwack, please allow us in. Barnabas asked us to come." The voice was distinctively Professor Stokes. Opening the door he stepped aside to let the two men in. "Professor I am glad you are here. He don't look good."

Elliott's concern was compounded by the way Willie showed his concern for Barnabas. "Why do you say that Willie? What has happened?"

Willie turned, "I am not sure. He said he took an injection from the serum that Doc Lang made for him and it made him like he used to be and he nearly attacked Vicki tonight." Willie's voice had been soft and held in confidential tones for the two men that stood in the hallway.

Professor Stokes was now more upset than he had been before hearing this. "I see, take me too him now please." He followed Willie into the drawing room where Barnabas reclined against the chair's back. His breathing had become labored and his face was soaked with perspiration.

"Willie, go get me the syringe and bring it down to the lab. Then we will need to get Barnabas down there as well. He appears to have gone unconscious. He is breathing and this is remarkable in itself. He should not be breathing at this point. We have to discover what has brought about this metabolic change."

Xavier nodded, "The lab will have what I need to do a proper examination correct?" He studied Barnabas, lifted his wrist taking his pulse looking at his watch as he did.

"By all means it does. Julia and Eric both physicians set up the lab to help Barnabas so it would be equipped as a micro exam and emergency room type of set up along with their experimental equipment."

Willie with Xavier's helped lift Barnabas and carried him to the cellar laying him on an exam bed. Xavier looked around and found what he needed and began to do a cursory exam of Barnabas. "Mr. Collins try and open your eyes for me."

Willie moved to the doctor's bag and pulled out the syringes. "He said Doc Lang told him to fill these up with the serum he had in the lab at his house. He said after he took one of the shots, that he went unconscious and when he awoke he was in one of those blood lusts and the first place he went was Vicki's room. It was her scream that scared him away. That is when he came back here and must have called you."

Elliott took one of the syringes and moved to the laboratory area of the basement. Using his skill and knowledge he began to break down the compounds in the serum by running it in the centrifuge.

Xavier continued to speak softly to Barnabas while he did his exam. "Mr. Collins, open your eyes for me now." Xavier patted his cheek watching for signs of awakening. Slowly Barnabas began to open his eyes and fixed them on Xavier. Eyes fixed with a blank stare he grabbed Xavier's throat. Baring his teeth he started to bite the man when Willie rushed forward and grabbed his hand from the doctor's throat.

Barnabas became aware that there was someone pleading with him to let go. Slowly he released his hand from the man's throat. His vision clearing he began to see what had happened while he was unconscious.

Willie had shouted, "NO BARNABAS LET HIM GO!" Willie struggled with the strength he knew he was no match. He continued to cry and plead to not do this to fight the urge to let Xavier go. Willie felt his own body begin to fatigue with the strength he was trying to fight and the fear was the only thing that held him to his task.

Barnabas released his hold on the man's throat and sat up looking apologetic and frightened. "I must apologize to you Mr. Von Zwack, I do not know what came over me, please forgive me."

Xavier had not been the head of a secret organization that had been the fear of many other darker contingents to allow such a thing as a newly born Day Walker to have tried to attack him. Having examined him, taken his blood and studied it under a microscope he had seen this on two other such occasions.

Xavier rubbed his throat, "Not a problem Mr. Collins, you are fighting two extremes at this time from what I have been able to determine. The darker nature of what you were is fighting against dying and you are being reborn into a new era of what you are, alive not dead and able to function on two levels."

This news astounded Barnabas. "But I crave blood. I need blood so badly that I feel the drive and the need over take me."

"That dear boy will pass with a couple more injections." Elliott moved into the room to stand next to Xavier. "You found he has crossed over to become a higher form of what he was? He lives again but he is not really alive, he is just more tolerant of life and mimics life correct?" Elliott studied his friend's throat and then his attention was riveted to what he was going to say.

Xavier rubbed his throat and offered his observations and findings. "I found he has been elevated to a higher form by being a newly born Day Walker. He is human on the surface, he will need to control and learn to control his darker nature that wants to over take his common thinking. But for all intents and purposes he is human again only as a vampire that can walk in the light of day and function on a higher level."

Elliott nodded, "The compound I found in this mixture is the catalyst that had brought about that change Barnabas. I am truly of a belief that if you continue to take these injections, you will be able to function as a normal human being but for the fact you will maintain your vampiric powers but will need to control them. You will still require blood but a donation from the blood bank should suffice."

Barnabas was surprised at this news. "Why did Eric not tell me he had changed the formula?"

"I suspect that it was an accident, that one beaker was poured into another beaker, the light green substance you found on the surface of the blue mixture was accidently poured into the beaker and had not totally mingled with the other mixture which is a good thing because it may have killed you."

Barnabas sat up feeling weak and shaky. "Then I am very grateful to you both for responding to my call so readily and being so helpful." His words were said with such sincerity that Elliott had to reassure him.

"It was not a problem to come at your insistence. I find that I am glad that I did and I was able to synthesize the mixture for you and this should last you at least for the next six months, long enough for Eric and Julia to mend and get back to finding a solution to your problem."

"I did give them some of my blood tonight before I injected myself with that solution. Hopefully it will allow them to heal faster and get them out of the hospital sooner." Barnabas spoke softly of what he had done earlier. He was in his way testing both men to see their reaction to what he had just confessed doing.

Neither man found fault with him for attempting to help his friends. "Very good, but I dare say your blood will still maintain its healing qualities if not faster now that you can soak of the vitamin A needed when you are in a human state."

Barnabas was beginning to feel his strength return. "Why am I feeling so weak Professor, Doctor Von Zwack?"

"I suspect it is your body becoming used to being alive again. You have all kinds of biological functions beginning to operate in your body as it had once before and the fact that as a person that is alive but not alive you are feeling all these functions coming back to a body that had been long dead for nearly two hundred years."

"So what are my limitations now that I have become this, what did you call it? Day Walker?"

"We are not entirely sure what will limit you to being fully human. I know that the other two I have met and know cannot tolerate bright sunlight and have to wear dark glasses when in the sun. Your skin will not burn in the sun as it once did. You will still have a slightly less aversion to silver crosses and silver in general. The only way you can die is if someone stakes you in the heart, and other vampires will sense this change in your and will want to try and figure out how they can become what you are."

Professor Stokes nodded his head. "Most definitely they will try to take your blood and use it so they can walk in the daylight too and hunt during the day. They will covet what you are and wish to be you and if that means to take some of your blood could give them what you have they will be most willing to do it without compunction."

Barnabas stood up feeling a little stronger. Leaning against the exam table for support he had to think about this. "What of my strength? My hearing? And what of my abilities to shift? Is all that still at my disposal?"

Elliott chuckled, "Dear boy, try it now. See what is still accessible?" He watched Barnabas try his speed and found he still possessed his abilities to move faster than most humans. Then he tried his hearing and that was still as perfect as it was prior to the injection.

Shifting into bat form he found he was able to shift still and the mist form was just as easy if not easier. Reappearing he felt weak and began to stagger. Frowning his shook his head and leaned against the exam bed. "Now there is a new twist to my ability to change. This feeling of wanting to slip unconscious and feeling very fatigued has never happened before."

Elliott nodded the observed, "That makes sense, and you would use more of your stored energy to do such a thing so it would drain you to the point of making you nearly unconscious."

Xavier agreed, "I would say you try your abilities but not all of them at one time to conserve your strength. I would say that you will need a week to adjust to your new status Mr. Collins, once you and your body adjusts to new functions and abilities, you will be able to compensate so that you are not so weak and vulnerable.'

Elliott chuckled, "Why not try to see your image in a mirror you should be able to do that as well."

Barnabas has not seen his image for far too long, one reason that the only mirror that had been allowed in the house had been the small vanity mirror in Josette's bedroom.

"Willie will you find me a mirror please, I know of one in the attic." Barnabas turned to his faithful servant and then he tried one more thing. "_Willie do you still hear me in your mind_?"

Willie turned and nodded, "_Yeah I hear you fine. You did not loose that either." _

"_Then bring the mirror to the drawing room. I will take Professor Stokes and Xavier up there." _

"_Okay, but you ain't gonna still hang out in my mind all the time are you?"_

"_No Willie, I will not be hanging out in your mind all the time. Now please go get the mirror and meet us in the drawing room." _

Willie turned and moved out of the lab. "Gentlemen shall we adjourn to the drawing room where I can properly offer you libation and my better company?" Barnabas led them up the stairs to the drawing room where he poured them both some sherry and offered them the comfort of his chairs.

Willie moved into the drawing room holding a mirror in his hands. He held the mirror up and waited while Barnabas stood in front of the mirror. His silence was one of wonder. It had been far too long since he had seen his image and he was surprised at how much he appeared to have changed. Not that he had aged but his eyes were no longer filled with sadness and his face was flushed with color.

"This truly is a miracle! I have not seen my image in so long I had almost forgotten how I looked." Barnabas studied his image for a few more moments then sighed, "We shall have mirrors everywhere Willie! We shall put the mirrors back my mother once had in this house. She liked to stop and check her hair to make sure it looked nice in case we had visitors!"

"Yeah I know we have them all in the attic, I can put them up tomorrow if you wish."

"Yes I would wish it Willie, see that they are all placed where they had been. I shall show you on the house plans where we had them hanging when I lived here as a youth." His excitement was complete with his being able to see his image. He felt human again.

Vicki paced the floor of her room. She knew she had been in grave danger when she had seen that figure earlier. Sitting on the edge of her bed she looked down at the floor. "Who could it have been? Did I really imagine it?" She shook her head and sighed deeply. She was over wrought, and very tired. Going to the window she secured it tightly. Turning she shifted out of her housecoat and slid into bed.

Slipping off into a deep sleep she began to dream, she was dressed in a white wedding gown, wearing Naomi's veil she looked like an angel in the long white flowing gown and veil that hung down her back and made her look as if she had wings. Smiling she took Roger's arm and began to walk down the stairs of Collinwood, to pause at the entrance to the grand drawing room. There she saw the whole family lying on the floor covered in blood.

Dropping her bouquet of red roses on the floor she screamed. Turning quickly to look for Roger, she saw he had been replaced by a dark figure that wore all black with his face blacked out by a shroud. She screamed again looking for Roger; she saw him lying against the wall of the stairs covered in blood, eyes open dull and fixed.

Turning to flee from the house she felt the dark figure lift her up and throw her across the room, to land on top of her. He pressed down on her ripping away the gown's top to lay bare her throat she fought against his incredible strength her hands reached up to pull away his hood. She locked eyes with him she felt her resolve to fight him die with the scream she had summoned to her throat as she saw the man she loved bend down to rip out her throat. She cried as she died, "Oh Barnabas what have you done!"

Vicki sat up with a gasp and shook her head. "This is not happening it was just a dream a horrible dream!" She panted laid back down and closed her eyes. Her love would never do something like that to her, never would she believe that. Then the voice; a voice she recognized as Nicholas Blair floated around in her mind. "Are you so sure?"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Vicki sat up with a gasp. "No, no, no!" She muttered over and over. "I do not believe your lies. Leave me alone!" She could not believe that dream. There was no way that Barnabas would harm her or this family. He was devoted to this family. Throwing the covers off of her she jumped out of bed slid on her house shoes and moved to the door of her closet.

"I am going to end this once and for all!" she huffed and she began to dress in a pair of jeans and a heavy sweater. "I know what and who you are Nicholas Blair, and you will not interfere in my life or Barnabas' life. We are going to be happy!" Pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she grabbed her jacket from the closet.

Moving downstairs to the kitchen she found the keys to the estate car. Moving to the garage she was determined to put an end to this non-sense once and for all. Backing the car out of the garage she pulled into the driveway and headed the car to the double iron gates. Driving down the roadway to the entrance of the Old House's driveway she had to slam on her breaks as a huge wolf darted across the roadway in front of her car.

"Shoot!" She muttered she nearly hit the wolf and skidded the car sideways. Looking up at the sky she could not see the moon or any light to help her look to see if she had hit the wolf. The car flooded out and she sighed and muttered some curse words under her breath. "Damn and double damn." she muttered softly she waited for the gas to clear the lines.

Then it happened, the wolf charged her driver's door. Throwing his body against the door, snarling, growling, teeth snapping at the glass to try and get to her. Her heart pounding in her ears, Vicki turned the ignition key and prayed the car would start. The engine turned over once, then twice, "Come on, start damn it."

The glass on her window threatened to break with the next lunge the wolf made. On the third turn the car started,. Vicki threw the car in gear and gunned the engine racing it towards the front of the Old House. Keeping her eyes pealed for the rabid wolf, she laid on the horn. "Please someone come out! Please come out. " She kept repeating over and over while she watched for the wolf.

Willie turned to look at the Professor and Elliott then to Barnabas. "Who is that laying on the horn, they are going to run their battery down if they keep it up." Willie moved to look out the front window. "Hey that looks like Vicki in the family car." Willie moved to the door and threw it open.

Vicki watching saw the door opened, she threw open the door and made a mad dash for the front door, and then she heard it. The growling and the snarling were behind her. She ran as fast as she could and then felt her feet slip and she started to fall. Screaming out in terror Vicki balled into a fetal position and waited for the animal to attack. The wolf made its attack, only to feel its body lifted in the air by another force stronger and more powerful. The rescuer dove straight for the attacking wolf, lifted it into the air and flung it away from Vicki.

Vicki felt herself lifted and what appeared to be in a blink of an eye she was being handed over to Willie while the force that had rescued her went off the porch in pursuit of the wolf. Barnabas charged into the night looking for the wolf he had just flung across the yard. Willie carried Vicki back he could see from his peripheral the wolf limpimp off to the wood line. Heading that way, Barnabas shifted to mist form and moved towards the last place he had seen the wolf.

Moving over the woods he spotted something odd. Shifting to bat form he circled back to what he saw was a naked man lying face down in the dry leaves. Shifting again to human form Barnabas landed next to the naked man and found he was injured but alive. Taking his off his jacket he covered the man. "Can you hear me?" Turning to face the house he pushed out his mental powers. "_Willie, I need you to follow my voice and come to me with a blanket and hurry. I have an injured man in the woods that may have been attacked by the wolf."_

Willie had moved into the drawing room with Vicki and set her down on the chair, and then he felt him in his mind and heard him. "Um Professor can you take care of Vicki. Barnabas needs me!" Willie moved to the hallway closet and pulled out a blanket. "He said he found a guy in the woods that might have been attacked by that wolf." Willie turned and began to instinctively follow the pull of Barnabas' power allowing it to guide him until he was on the pathway that showed him two outlines near the ground. Moving quickly to the two shadows he stopped and looked down seeing the naked man. "Whoa! What happened here?"

"I don't know I found him lying here naked. Help me get him up and back to the old house. The wolf is gone I could not find it anywhere is Vicki all right?" Barnabas concern was evident by the tone of his voice. He was so angry when he saw her being attacked by the wolf that he did not need to think he only reacted.

"Yeah, I left her with Xavier and Professor Stokes. Then I heard your call and came right here."

"You did good Willie, now help me get him back to the old house and we will have Xavier check him out to see if he has any other injuries."

Vicki sat with the glass of sherry in her hands that trembled with the aftermath of her fear from nearly being attacked by the wolf. "I was getting married and when I arrived at the drawing room the whole room was filled with bloody dead, all of the Collins family was dead and Roger's figure had turned into a Skelton. Then I head his voice. Nicholas Blair's voice and he was taunting me. So I came here and that is when I nearly hit the wolf on the roadway. It attacked the car and was trying to get me." Xavier studied Vicki's demeanor and found her to be very truthful and brave.

"Are you going to be all right my dear?" Xavier was being the cordial and caring physician while he checked her for any other damage.

" I was so sure I was going to die. That wolf was coming right for me. What happened?" She looked from Professor Stokes to Xavier.

"Barnabas knocked it off of you and he and Willie are looking for it as we speak my dear." Professor Stokes refreshed her drink. "Drink up it will warm you and calm your nerves." Professor Stokes gently patted her arm. Turning to Xavier he spoke softly, "Is she hurt?" He kept his eyes fixed to Xavier as he asked his question.

"No, not hurt. She is shaken and naturally upset but now she speaks of Blair, I thought he had returned to the under dark after Angelique was banished.

Stokes nodded, "We all assumed that but apparently he has unfinished business and it appears to involve Barnabas and Vicki's nuptials. I cannot see him returning without his side kick Angelique."

The front door opened to allow Barnabas and Willie to help the young man into the house and into the drawing room where he collapsed in the nearest chair. "Dr. Von Zwack, could you please examine this young man. I found him lying naked in the woods. He appears to be injured."

Barnabas turned to kneel next to Vicki. "Come my dearest, let us take you to Josette's room where we can talk and you can tell me why you came at such a late hour tonight." Barnabas help her to stand, then led her from the room. Guiding her shaky form up the stairs to Josette's room. Taking her to the settee, he seated her, and then pulled the chair to sit in front of her. Once again, Vicki began to relate her dream, the deaths she saw, and how Barnabas attacked her and killed her. Then when she shouted out her denial she heard Nicholas Blair's voice mocking her.

He held her hand as she spoke, his face grave with the tale she just relayed to him. "My dearest Victoria you do know that I would never harm you or my family. You do believe me don't you?"

"Of course I do, Barnabas that is why I denied it to the voice in my head. I denied that you could do such a thing. That is why I had to come here and that is when that animal attacked my car on the road not far from here."

"There, there my dear. We will allow you to sleep here tonight. You will not need to go home and here I can protect you from any other horrible dreams you may have. I will have Willie find one of Josette's gowns so you may rest comfortably."

He stood and then she stood and moved into his arms. "Do you have to go?" She held on to him tightly. "I really am not ready to be alone."

Barnabas smiled, "Then I shall have Willie find you something to wear and will come back to sit with you until you fall asleep."

Xavier did a summary exam of the dazed young man and found him to have a possible broken rib and sprained foot. Bandaging his foot he cautioned. "You really should go to the hospital young man and get your ribs x-rayed and your foot. Try to stay off your foot for a couple of days or until you get it x-rayed and confirmed it is not broken.

The young man looked expectantly from Xavier to the Professor. "Thank you both for all your help. I don't remember what happened. I was in my hotel room at the Collinsport Inn and thought I heard something outside my room . I remember going out to see what was going on and then all of a sudden nothing else but waking up here. It is all a mystery to me as to how I got in the woods in that condition."

Xavier shook his head. "It sounds like you may have been drug or rendered unconscious some how."

Elliott agreed, "I could call the police for you if you wish. Oh by the way I am Professor Elliott Stokes. And this is my good friend Xavier Von Zwack. This young man is Willie Loomis, and the gentleman that found you is Barnabas Collins. "

"Collins? Would that be a Collins related to Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Roger Collins?" The young man stood up straighter and looked around.

"Why yes, he is a distant cousin to them, is that a problem?" Willie asked using a defensive tone while he eyed the man carefully assessing him.

"Oh no, they are distant relatives of mine. So, if I am in Mr. Collins home would he be close to Collinwood?"

A rap on the door caught Willie by surprise. "I will be right back. Moving to the door he opened it and smiled, "Hello Quentin what brings you out so late at night?" Willie stepped aside to allow Quentin access to enter.

"I just got bored knew Barnabas would be up and thought I would come over, seems he has more company is that the estate car I saw all scratched up on the driver's side?" He thumbed the car.

"Yeah, Vicki had an accident. Professor Stokes and that Von Zwack dude is here too, and we got some stranger that says he is related to the Collins family but we don't know his name." Willie turned to lead Quentin to the group in the drawing room.

Quentin entered the room with a curious and doubtful look on his features his eyes fell on the young man sitting in one of the fireside chairs. Blue eyes locked to blue eyes a feeling of familiarity filled him. "Hello? I am Quentin Collins and you are?" Quentin extended his hand in a cordial greeting.

"Jennings, Chris Jennings. I was here to visit with my brother Tom Jennings and my cousin Joe Haskell. I think we are related to you. Our Grandfather was Quentin Collins." He reached for Quentin's hand and felt the strength in the handshake tighten then relaxed.

"Well then I would say yes we are related. My father was Quentin Collins the third, so that would make me your Uncle; I suppose." He smiled tightly and released the hand that had held his and stepped back. "So I guess it would appropriate for me to say welcome to the family."

Barnabas came down the stairs, a look of concern and consternation on his face. Pausing on the steps he looked around at those that were gathered. Hearing Quentin he smiled. "I see we have more relations that have arrived?" Barnabas continued on down the stairs.

Moving into the drawing room he looked from Quentin to the young man he had rescued from the woods. "Chris Jennings Mr. Collins. I am a grandson of Quentin Collins. My cousin is Joe Haskell."

Chris stood up slowly extending his hand. "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Collins and I think I owe you a thank you for helping me." Chris held the blanket close to his body.

"Well pleasure to meet you, and I see we may need to get you some clothing. I found you without a stitch of clothing on unconscious in the woods."

Quentin frowned looking at the blanket that covered his grandson's body and sighed. "Maybe I need to go and get you some clothing or take you to your clothing?"

Chris smiled widely, "That would be the best. I am staying at the Collinsport Inn and honestly to not know how I got out here in the woods without my clothing. I was telling the doctor here that I heard something in the hallway and then the next thing I know I was here being told that Mr. Collins found me naked and unconscious. I really don't remember anything else."

Barnabas turned to Willie, "Willie go up and see if you can locate a coat for Mr. Jennings to wear. I am sure the coat will be a lot more comfortable and easier to use than a blanket."

"Yeah sure, be right back Jennings." Willie moved back and towards the stairs and paused for a moment to study the young man that sat back down in the fireside chair. He frowned he watched the shifting of Chris eyes.

Turning he moved on up the stairs and down the hallway to a storage closet where he found six different sized coats. "Willie?" Vicki had stepped out of Josette's room and saw Willie in the closet.

Jumping he turned looking at her, "Dang Vicki I forgot you were here. Are you all right? Do you need anything?" He grabbed a coat from the closet.

"I heard voice downstairs and was wondering who was here. Barnabas said he was going to ask you to find me one of Josette's nightgowns. I was just thinking it might be a lot of trouble and I don't want to create more problems for you than I already have."

Willie smiled, she was thinking of others and not herself again. "No not a problem, as a matter of fact if you look in the closet you will find a nightgown and matching house coat that belonged to Josette that should fit you. The young man we found in the woods needs something to cover up with. He was naked when we found him unconscious in the woods."

Vicki smiled, "Thank you Willie. Do you think they need my help?" She looked uncomfortably around the hallway and then back at him.

"I don't think so, he is suppose to be Quentin's nephew and he don't remember how he got in the woods like that. So Quentin is going to take him back to the hotel where he lives so he can get some clothes, he needs them."

Vicki nodded turned and moved back to Josette's room. Moving to the wardrobe she opened the door and looked at the lovely light blue gown and matching lace housecoat. Taking them down from their hangers she moved to the bed and laid them down and began to undress. Donning the gown she dressed quickly and then moved under the covers on the bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin she laid back and looked around the room. "Well I am in your room in your gown but that does not make me you Josette, but I feel like you right now and frankly I am afraid. I don't know what is going on with my dreams and only ask you to help me through this night."

Lying back on the bed she tried to close her eyes and relax, the exhaustion of her previous encounter set in she felt herself slip off into a deep sleep. From the portrait over the mantle of Josette began to glow and the room filled with the scent of jasmine. Josette moved from the portrait to the side of the bed where Vicki laid sleeping. "Do not worry Mon chéri, I am here to protect you, nothing will harm you while I watch over you. "

Xavier and Elliott followed Quentin and Chris to the door seeing them out. Barnabas moved to the fireside chair and sat down. His night had not gone the way he had anticipated and he was most anxious to meet with Eric and Julia again. The curious part of his night had just walked out of the door.

Xavier with Elliott moved back to the drawing room and sat down picking up their drinks. "Odd, I wonder if he was what is the word they use? Rolled?" Elliott considered while sipping his drink.

"What a curious euphemism, Rolled meaning robbed?" Xavier noted sipping his own drink.

"Gentlemen there is something not quite right about this whole situation, how did he get so far from the Collinsport Inn to the woods near Collinwood and here? Surely he was not robbed, and his clothing taken and then dumped in the woods like that? Who would be so cruel as to do something so horrendous?"

Barnabas was stumped. Elliott finished his drink around the same time that Xavier finished his. "Well I personally have had a full day and need some rest gentlemen. So, please forgive me if I make my final adieus for now." Xavier stood and offered a bow to each man and moved towards the door. Then realized he had come with Elliott. "Oh dear Elliott I do apologize, it seems I am getting a bit addle pated in my advancing years. Of course when you are ready so am I." Xavier looked to his friend with a contrite look upon his face.

"Not to worry my dear fellow. I too am weary and we shall both make our goodnights to Barnabas so he may attend to Vicki." Elliott stood set his empty glass on the table. "Until tomorrow. Shall I be seeing you at the hospital?"

Barnabas stood following them to the door. "Yes, I really think we need to let Eric and Julia know what happened with the serum and the after affects of said serum."

Barnabas escorted his two callers to the door, and then turned to Willie, "I meant to tell you, Victoria needs a nightgown and house coat, perhaps one of Josette's."

"I already took care of it for you Barnabas. She found me looking for a coat for Jennings and I told her in Josette's closet was a gown and housecoat. I think she has already gone to sleep."

"I still plan on sitting with her in the room, she was very upset and very frightened by all that had happened earlier." Barnabas took on a protective tone to his voice looking up the stairs to the room that held his love. Though he did not see the room at the top of the stairs he could visualize it in his mind.

Willie hesitated, "Um with these new powers you ain't gonna hurt her are you? I mean you have control over that thing that makes you mean?"

Barnabas felt a moment of irritation pass over him at the idea that he would harm Vicki and the insinuation that Willie was making made him involuntarily backhand Willie across the face. Still fighting for control over his emotions Barnabas grabbed Willie's shirt and drug him face to face.

"Do not ever think or insinuate again that I would harm the very life of my life, the love of my life or the very reason for my being is that understood Willie? You are becoming too familiar with me and with those I love and I remind you I am your employer."

Barnabas shoved him backwards and then realized what he had done. Stricken by the depth of his reaction and anger he turned from Willie. "Oh Willie, I am so sorry." His shame was complete with his over reaction. "I don't know what came over me just then. Of course you should worry. I need to regain your trust in me again. Please Willie forgive me for being so harsh."

Willie was frightened at first then realized that Barnabas did not know what he was doing when he grabbed him so harshly and slapped him. Still feeling the sting of the slap he moved away from Barnabas his gaze filled with confusion and fear. "Yeah sure Barnabas." His words were soft and filled with hurt.

Barnabas heard the hurt and felt his fear wash over him like a wave of guilt that now engulfed him for his over reaction. He did not know what else to say except how much he regretted his reaction. "I am sorry Willie, I don't know why I did that just now and it grieves me that I have violated your trust in me again. Your trust means more to me than you could possibly imagine. This break in my own personal protocol had shaken me to my core and I cannot express to you how sorry I am."

Willie felt the sincerity of his apology and understood he was moody and subject to tantrum and outburst but since he would have traded his life for Barnabas' life he felt they had bridged that aspect of their differences in their lives. This just showed him he was still considered his slave and nothing more.

"_No Willie, I think of you as family. I would never want to violate that treaty we formed and would never intentionally hurt or harm you or Victoria. I want you to know I mean this from the bottom of my heart."_

Barnabas had sensed his conflict and entered his mind to see the hurt and confusion that was resting there like a viper ready to strike out at the heart of one of those he had come to respect. Sighing softly, Barnabas turned from him. "I shall be up in Josette's room if you need me you know where to find me."

Moving to the stairs he made his way with a heavy heart to Josette's room where he found Vicki sound asleep and the ethereal figure of Josette hovering nearby. "Josette? Why are you here?"

"I have come to protect our Victoria from the bad dreams that Nicholas Blair sends he is evil Barnabas and would drive our Victoria to Widows Hill and her end if we do not protect her." Josette stood protectively next to Barnabas. "It is up to us to see her safe and secure from his evil."

"I plan to do just that my dear Josette and nothing will stand in the way of our happiness."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Eric stood in the middle of his lab. He looked around at the various beakers, tubes, and equipment to make sure it had been placed back the way it should have been placed. Looking at the beaker that had been diluted with another solution he frowned he lifted the two separate beakers and studied them. Setting them back he moved to the cryo tube to look at the specimen inside.

Moving to the cryo tube he checked the brain and sighed. Now all he needed was a life force to transfer to the two and he needed to see if Barnabas was still up for it. Arriving upstairs to the living room he smiled watching Julia rest on the sofa. "How are you my dear?"

"I am tired my love." She opened her eyes and looked at him with eyes of love. "What were you doing?" She pushed up; bracing her self against the pillows that Beth had arranged for her on the sofa.

"Checking on how much damage was done to the lab by that wolf that wanted to eat you for lunch. There was a problem with one of the serums and Barnabas has suffered an interesting metamorphosis with the mixture, do you suppose he will still be interested in trying this next phase?" He moved to her side his concern evident with the look of seriousness on his face.

"I would think anything that would allow him a normal life would be the impetus for him to try this phase of it." She shifted to make herself more comfortable and grimaced she found the sore spots that reminded her she had suffered a serious injury.

"I thought I would run out to his house later and check in with him and was wondering if you were up for the trip or did you wish to pass this time?" Eric sat on the edge of the sofa taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger to gently rub his thumb over her chin.

"You know we are being called the miracle patients of the hospital for how quickly our serious injuries healed and how quickly we were able to be discharged, don't you think we should wait a little longer before we both start checking in with Barnabas. There were some uncommon elements involved with our rapid healing. I just think it might be smart to lay low for a while until the curious Charlie's have moved on."

Eric had to admit there were a lot of questions in regards to their serious injuries healing so rapidly for no apparent reason other than being where they were. He had not considered that so many questions would be asked but they had brought up quite a stir with the residents and other hospital staff.

"Well perhaps I shall call him and see if he and Vicki would like to come by. That way no one could draw any conclusions considering they both had been to see us daily since we were hospitalized." Eric countered a different solution to speak with Barnabas.

"That would be an excellent idea, far better than us going out there right after our release." She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. "That way I can spend more alone time with you."

Eric gently gathered her into his arms and returned the kiss with as much passion. "You rest my love and we will call Barnabas to come to visit." Eric covered her; standing he moved to his office and sat down. Making notes on the problems that were found with the two serums and the potential results had him thoughtful.

Barnabas watched the sun rise with a smile that edged his lips. He had seen sunrises but this new sensation of not having to wear Stoke's UV protectant on his skin along with his clothing was a plus. The sunlight did bother his eyes, so he made a mental note that he would need to buy some dark sunglasses to wear when he was out with Vicki.

He heard her footsteps on the stairs were enough to allow him to know she was up and coming down to join him for breakfast. He could eat a little food that would not hurt him. He would be experimenting with his newfound abilities. He was enjoying the feel of the sun on his face.

"Barnabas? I thought you were going to Bangor today?" she stepped to his side and smiled delighted to see him standing in the sunlight.

He turned to embrace her close to his body, kissed her lightly on her lips, "I thought today we would my dear go pick out your engagement ring." Curving his arms around her waist he pulled her close to his body and sighed deeply, "After all, we are engaged. I thought you would appreciate picking out the ring you would like."

Vicki beamed with pleasure at the thought of having his ring on her finger. "Oh Barnabas, I thought you would want to surprise me." She colored a lovely shade of pink.

"Well is this not a surprise? To take you to Bangor and have you pick out your ring?" He kissed her forehead he held her close to him.

"Well yes, but I need to get David started on his studies before we go. Will we drive or are you having Willie take us?" She turned into his body holding onto him laying her head on his shoulder.

"I think today I shall give Willie the day off and we shall take the estate car and that reminds me, I need to buy you a car. We might pick out a car for you to use."

Vicki was feeling over whelmed, "Well if I do, then it will be one I can teach you how to drive too." She smiled watching him grimace. "Oh don't be a grump. You need to learn to drive and if I don't teach you, then we need to find a driving school."

He looked at her indulgently, " I would prefer no one else but you to teach me how to drive." He could feel her snuggle closer to his body while he spoke of having her teach him how to drive.

Off in the distance the phone began to ring, Barnabas looked curious. "Do you suppose it is Elizabeth trying to find you?" He reluctantly let her go and moved to the phone on the foyer table. "Hello Barnabas Collins speaking."

"Barnabas it is Eric Lang, wanted you to know that Julia and I were released this morning and are home. We were wondering if you would like to bring my doctor's bag by the house later when you got a chance?" Barnabas smiled hearing his friend's voice.

"Eric, we would love to come and visit you and Julia, Vicki is here now she has a few things to address with David at Collinwood, and then on our way to Bangor we would be happy to drop by." Barnabas could hear the under lying tension in Eric's voice but took his cue to remain nonchalant about their visit.

Barnabas turned to smile watching Vicki approach him. "Victoria and I will be there shall we say around noon?" Vicki nodded her affirmation that would work for her too. Eric's voice brightened with the news they would be there that soon.

"Very good Barnabas, I look forward to seeing you both." Eric hung up and the line went to dial tone. Barnabas hung up, kissed Vicki on the lips. Breaking his hold he moved to the coats hanging on the coat rack. "Come my dear, it would appear we have a very busy day." He slipped her coat off the rack, and held it for her as he called, "Willie! Willie!"

Willie moved to the top of the stairs, he looked anxiously while he waited for Barnabas to give him his orders. "We are going to Collinwood. Then to Doctor Lang's house, he and Julia have been released, then I think Vicki and I will be in Bangor for the rest of the day and won't be back until very late, I suggest you take the day off and relax Willie. I think you have been working entirely too hard of late and you need a bit of a respite."

Willie looked pleased and surprised. "Oh and while I am thinking of it, in my library desk, there is an envelope, you will find there is about fifty dollars in the envelope. Why don't you take that and that nice young Beth out for dinner on Vicki and me. Consider that payment for your work for the past two weeks."

Willie was shocked Fifty dollars was a lot of money. He had worked one time for this miserly old man in Port Lucia that paid him ten bucks for one weeks of work and he felt pretty rich from that. Now he was getting fifty bucks and payment, it was the first time Barnabas had paid him anything.

Barnabas always kept a tight hold on the money when he sent Willie to buy supplies and he had to authorize all purchases and if he felt it was frivolous he would mark it off his list. This would frustrate Willie to no end. He would just bite the inside of his jaw and keep his mouth shut.

Since his engagement to Vicki he had changed a great deal. Last night had scared Willie; he saw a darker side of Barnabas he never wanted to see again. With the thought of taking Beth out He watched the two of them leave the house.

This was gonna be a banner day for him, so he turned and began to walk off towards his room, he would take a bath, shave, slap on some of that new stink pretty he bought a year ago. With a light step and a happy thought Willie began to whistle a happy little ditty about a Girl from New York City while he went off to his room.

Barnabas stood patiently by Vicki's side she looked at a tray of engagement rings. He noted she was being very conservative and began to think he should have picked the ring out. "Excuse me are these the only engagement rings you have?" He was not impressed with what he had seen and found them sadly lacking.

The sales lady raised her eyebrows and spoke in a very highhanded way. "The lady expressed her wishes to look at this tray of course we have other rings but they are in higher price range and I seriously doubt that you could afford them. I believe what we offer here is appropriate for the price range. "

Barnabas reacted as if he had been physically slapped across the face. Using his own highhanded manner, Barnabas leaned over the counter to the lady that had just spoke so offensively to him and his beloved. "My dear woman. Perhaps you do not realize with whom you are speaking. Be that as it may, I wish to speak with your manager immediately."

A slender male in his late forties moved to the counter, "How do you do, I am Mr. Thomas how may I help you Mr.?" He did not offer his hand he merely appeared to look in his superior manner and tone down his nose to the distinguished looking man in the Inverness Cape.

"The name is Mr. Collins, Barnabas Collins of Collinsport, Maine and I am beginning to think that I have obviously come to the wrong jewelers to find an engagement ring for my fiancé. You obviously do not wish our business. I assure you, that I will make it a point to let all our friends and that does include the governor of this state how churlish and rude we were treated when we came here. Come Victoria, I am sure we can go to Boston or New York to find a ring that will suit a woman of your stature and my pocket book is deep."

He moved to the door, paused and turned back to the two that looked stunned and pale he smiled, "I will be telling Mr. Braithwaite of how we were treated once I return to Collinsport, he was the one that recommended I come here to his Bangor outlet. He was obviously mistaken Mr. Thomas and excuse me I did not get your name madam."

Her throat had constricted when she tried to speak. Clearing her throat she spoke softly but loud enough that Barnabas could hear her. "Emily Jones sir." Her face was scarlet with embarrassment she watched him nod.

Turning he smiled graciously to Vicki, "Come along my dear we will not be getting an engagement ring today. I hope you are not too disappointed."

Mr. Thomas was not so quick to be intimidated by the threat he had just received. Moving to the phone he called Braithwaite's in Collinsport. "Hello Janet, this is Ryan Thomas is Mr. Braithwaite available?"

"Oh darn, I am so glad you called Ryan, Mr. Braithwaite wanted me to call you earlier but we got busy and I was unable to do so. Barnabas Collins is bringing his fiancé' Victoria Winters they will need to view the Classic Collection with the sapphires and diamonds. They are shopping for an engagement ring."

Ryan Thomas felt his heart sink to his stomach. "I see, I suppose this Barnabas Collins is a very influential and highly placed man of some distinction?"

"Oh yes and terribly wealthy, he is a cousin that came over from England to live here in Collinsport and is directly related to Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. I heard he could probably buy out Mrs. Stoddard if he had a mind to."

Ryan moaned softly, slumped over and ran a hand over his face. "I see, well you might as well know Mr. Collins was here and well he was not treated well for a man of his standing and he left here and said he was going to New York to buy the ring."

Janet could imagine how this went down, she had dealt with Emily Jones and had found her attitude slightly insulting to those that had were not well to do or rich. She was a snob through and through and now she had cost them one of their wealthiest clients and she knew Mr. Braithwaite would not be happy. "I see, and you were not there to smooth things over? Do you know how highly situated this man and his family are in this state?" Janet's voice had risen she felt her own temper beginning to grow.

"I am afraid that I did not realize how important he was until it was too late. I fear that they were treated very shabbily by us." Ryan could not excuse his actions or the actions of his employee Emily. All he could do was to try and figure out a way to make this right.

Arthur Braithwaite had walked into the shop he heard Janet's side of the conversation from his work area. "What is this? What has happened?" He was not sounding happy he stood holding his special glasses with the magnifying implement attached. He has used them for cutting diamonds and fashioning his trademark jewelry pieces.

"It would seem that Miss Jones and Mr. Thomas were not impressed with Mr. Collins and that he and Vicki Winters were treated rather shabbily because they did not exude wealth." Arthur was not happy and his face clouded hearing this news.

"Fire Miss Jones, and tell Mr. Thomas if he wishes to keep his job, he will be at Collinwood first thing tomorrow morning with the best selection of my engagement rings that he has in his tray and he had better be ready to eat some humble pie before, during and after he leaves Collinwood. I will not tolerate any of my customers whatever walk of life they move through being treated with anything less than respect."

"I will be calling Elizabeth personally and apologizing on behalf of my staff and let him know how unhappy I am that I am in the position of having to apologize to the Great Lady of Collinwood that my staff were rude." Arthur moved back into his work area and threw his glasses across the room. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard was not going to appreciate this slight. He had depended on the graces of the Collins Family, hell his whole family was doing as well as they had for the past one hundred years because of that close association.

Janet cringed and then sighed, "You both are in deep crap, he just threw his glasses across the room. Miss Jones has been terminated immediately. You are to be at Collinwood first thing tomorrow with the tray of the best rings to show Miss Winters, furthermore, you are to apologize for your behavior and ask for their forgiveness. His words were 'be prepared to eat humble pie before during and after the visit to Collinwood."

Ryan sighed deeply. "Yes Ma'am, considered it done." He turned to Emily and saw the stricken look on her face. "I tried to warn you Emily, that if you continued to treat people like dirt it was going to comeback and bite you on the butt and guess what? You are fired, Mr. Braithwaite is very upset." Emily burst into tears and ran from the room leaving him to hang up the phone. Watching her leave he looked down and shook his head. He better start practicing his humble pie approach.

Barnabas was furious he escorted Vicki down the street towards their car. "Of all the ill mannered poor excuses for business practices, I am very upset and terribly disappointed about this whole sordid situation." He stopped turned to peer at her, "My darling please forgive me for putting you through this debacle of an occasion that should have been one of the happiest of our lives."

Vicki was shocked at his anger but more offended by the treatment they had just received at the hands of one of Mr. Braithwaite's employees. "Barnabas I do not blame you for their poor actions, I blame them. I feel sorry for anyone that tried to buy something from that horrid woman and was treated as we were treated simply because they were not rich."

"Well we shall find you an engagement ring. You will have only the best and the most expensive that I can afford." Opening the car door he waited for her to enter then closing it, he moved to the passenger's side and slid in. "Well shall we go back to Julia's and Eric's? You could drop me off there for a while and go back to Collinwood. I shall be by later to join you."

"Barnabas it really did not need to be the most expensive. What made the ring special would be that it was given to me by you because it binds our love, respect and commitment to each other." Vicki had spoken positively and this amazed Barnabas that she could be so charitable after being treated so shabbily by a woman that was nothing more than a snob. Vicki started the car, put it in gear and drove off towards Collinsport, her mind filled with her disappointment over not finding a ring and her man concerned had been her own feelings righteously outraged at how they had treated Barnabas.

Eric stepped back from the defrosted body of the giant man that would be his greatest achievement. He studied the head and found that later they could do skin grafts to cover the stitching around his forehead where he had accidently cut into the forehead when removing the brain and then replacing it with the other brain he had cultivated.

Positioning the man on the table, he turned to Barnabas and helped him on the table next to the man. "Now, when I throw that switch over there; your life force will be transferred into the body, I will send electricity through his body to stimulate the brain and his heart. You will feel a separation when the process begins which can be disorienting and make you feel as if your body is being ripped apart. Then once the transference is done, you will feel human again, and for all intent and purposes be human again."

In the darkness of the storm shelter Peter Bradford lurked like a fading shadow in the now growing darkness of both rooms. He had hidden there and now he knew what was happening he was not about to allow Barnabas to become human again and he not join in on that new venture. So he waited like a cat patiently waiting for its prey to move so he could pounce.

Eric moved to the wall and threw the first of three switches, the power came on and the room glowed with an eerie light the electrical current shot through the wires to the head piece that rested on the giant's body. Still Bradford waited. "Barnabas are you ready?" Eric shouted.

"Yes, do it!"

Eric threw the second switch and Barnabas felt the thrust of electrical current rip through his body he screamed feeling his body separating from itself. Eric threw the third and final switch, Bradford burst from his hiding place, and rushed towards the bed that Barnabas occupied and grabbed the headpiece from Barnabas' head. Realizing what was happening Barnabas grabbed the headpiece and a tremendous tug of war was now happening between Bradford and Barnabas, the current shocked them both and together they screamed out then both men collapsed. Bradford falling to the floor and Barnabas slumping back on the cot he had occupied.

Eric rushed foreword checking Barnabas for signs of breathing and a heartbeat, he had one a very faint one, then he dropped to check on Bradford and found he had a heartbeat as well, a very faint one and he too was breathing. Then he paused and smiled, he heard the large man on the table next to Barnabas moan.

Turning he watched as his creature was beginning to show signs of life. He opened his eyes and peered blankly. Checking his pulse, his heart rate he frowned he noted the heart rate and pulse were working way too fast. The heart had stopped. Eric shook his head, moved to find the cardiac serum and jabbed the long needle into his creations heart, then thumped his chest and began compressions.

Waiting he felt his heart racing with anticipation and it happened. There it was a deep long drawn out breath and the creature began to breath again. Eric laughed he moved to the table and found the other serum he needed to inject into the creature. Moving quickly he began to inject the creature with different syringes until he was happy with the heart rate and the color the creature showed. "Its alive!" He breathed out in exaltations he watched the lifeless creature that had occupied his lab for months now come to life. "I have to tell Julia!"

Looking down at Bradford he frowned, because of his interference he was not sure how successful they would in making Barnabas human again. Checking on both men one more time he turned and moved up the stairs towards their bedroom. "Julia! Darling! We were successful in resuscitating the creature, but not so successful I fear for Barnabas, we had a

little problem."

Julia sat up the look of concern written on her face. "Oh what happened? He is alive?" She made her self more comfortable. Then she sat back and waited for him to tell her what had happened.

"He has a heartbeat but we had an unexpected visitor interrupt at the most delicate part of the procedure. It appears that Bradford was hiding in the storm room when the last segment began he ripped the headgear from Barnabas's head."

In the lab, the confused and dazed creature sat up and looked around at all the strange equipment. Afraid and not sure of what, where or how he was there, he slid from the table and moved to the door that led to the rear exit of the lab and Eric Lang's house. Weak as a newborn he made his way staggering up the stairs and out into the night to peer around at all the strange things he saw.

Like the newborn he was, he moved towards the sound of the ocean and the beach, pausing to take in the newness that was now his life he staggered to the water and stopped allowing it to wash over his feet. Frightened by the feel of the cold water on his bare feet he staggered away from it and screamed out afraid, then he began to run. He ran down the beach and from the sight of where he had been, his newly processing mind now filled with fear and confusion. He staggered towards the mouth of a cave where he collapsed onto the moist soft surface and fell asleep. His mind now closing down and the fear of what he was feeling washing over him like a newness of all things that now surrounded him.

Barnabas sat up and looked around confused, then seeing Bradford on the floor he growled, "YOU, you did this!" He slid from the bed and bent to lift him from the floor, and with one mighty thrust he lifted Bradford and flung him across the room. Bradford hit the wall with and slid to the floor. "You are the reason I am not human! For that you will die!" He advanced on the unconscious figure of Bradford, baring his teeth, his eyes going to a icy blue. Lifting Bradford from the floor he could hear the heartbeat and he could smell the blood that coursed through his veins and he waited no longer, he sank his teeth into his neck and drank.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Barnabas lay on the cot, his mind a muddled mess. He felt all sorts of emotions that had been dormant for almost two hundred years. He felt fear of the unknown, he felt curious of something new and he felt confusion. Then the stronger emotion of loss filled him, something he had pushed deep within his mind and soul since he lost Josette. Then an old familiar feeling filled him. The blood lust was on him again, and this was what was the most frightening of all. Closing his eyes he pushed the blood lust away, he thought about Vicki, her innocence, her tender sweet qualities and her innate charm that allowed her to think of others before her self.

The feelings he held for her allowed him to calm the need to seek out a victim for blood. It was these thoughts that allowed him to find an inner peace within himself and to feel, really feel his love he held for Vicki. There was nothing stronger in this world than complete and absolute love for another.

Peter Bradford lay on the floor, his mind filled with the same feelings was unsettling he was experiencing the feelings that Barnabas felt for Vicki and he wanted her. He wanted to take her for his blood mate. Then the feelings he experienced through Barnabas made him ashamed of his feelings for her. He wanted Phyllis back but he also wanted Vicki in the same way and this was unsettling. Peter stood on shaky legs, leaned against the cot that had held the creature. Then he realized that the creature was missing. That was when he felt what the creature was feeling while he made his way out of the house and down the beach towards his hiding place. Peter could feel his exhaustion and he now slept. The feelings of being lost, confused, anxiety and fear permeated his being. The emotions were over whelming and disturbing.

Pushing from the cart he staggered to the door and out into the sunshine and gasped in astonishment. He was not on fire! He was feeling the warmth of the sun on his arms for the first time in nearly two hundred years. He opened his eyes and felt the piercing pain from the sunlight, covering his eyes he darted into a shady area near the rear garage. Slowly he opened his eyes and felt instant relief, holding his hand out into the sunlight he felt the warmth again and smiled. He could tolerate the sun but not his eyes. He moved towards the end of the garage and then moved from shadow to shadow.

He would have to get some sunglasses to protect his eyes. This was wonderful, he could move about in the daylight and when he wanted to feed he could find an alternative to avoid being caught and destroyed, He moved to the beach and began to walk along the beach shore area keeping his eyes squinted and his head down.

Julia sat looking a bit confused and a lot upset over the mishap involving Peter Bradford. "So Eric, what do you think the outcome would be for your creation, what was it you were naming him?"

Eric sighed deeply, "I am not sure, two life forces were used to reanimate him, so he will be tied to the both of them. I fear though that Adam did not cure either of them and its even possible that some of Bradford and some of Collins were shared between the both of them as well as Adam."

"Let me get this straight Adam is now alive and ready to learn and be everything he can be. He will have the strength of a vampire and the agility of one but not all the facets that belong to a vampire will be his, just some of it. That Barnabas may share one third of the human side, one third of the vampirism side of Bradford and one third his day walker persona?" Is this what you are telling me?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you. Regardless they; meaning all three are now tied to one another through this process." Eric leaned forward to straighten Julia's pillows.

Julia hid a smirk behind her down turned face, Eric leaned forward she wrapped her arms around his neck; pressing into him she kissed him deeply. "Thank you my darling Eric. Now I know you are anxious to go down and check on your newest creation and the other two so go on. I will be fine."

Eric chuckled, "That is one of the reason, amazing reasons I fell in love with you." Lightly kissing her on the lips he stood. "I will be right back." He took one last look at her then turned and moved to the lab.

Moving down the steps into the room, he paused and his heart plummeted to his stomach. Moving to Barnabas cot he checked on him. Barnabas opened his eyes looking into Eric's. "I feel only slightly different, I think Bradford is the reason I am unable to do more. I feel odd and I am feeling things I have not felt before."

Eric nodded, "You are now tied to two other beings, the one we animated, and unfortunately, when Bradford touched the transference rods, you got a portion of his life force and he a portion of yours. Both of you were responsible for giving a third of your life force to the being I named Adam."

Eric looked around hoping to see perhaps he was sitting in the corner or had fallen to the other side of the lab table. "He is not there, he escaped out into the back exit when you went upstairs. He was so afraid and confused. He has gone down the beach to a cave and is sleeping like a child in one of the caves. He is child like in many ways and he is very confused."

Barnabas sounded weak while telling Eric what he was feeling. I can almost see what he sees, and I can definitely feel what he feels." Barnabas sighed deeply, "While he sleeps I am not so troubled or confused, it is hard to block his extreme emotions but they are there when he is fully awake."

Adam slept and as he slept his dreams were filled with a vision of a woman, she had long dark hair, eyes that shifted colors with her emotions, she was lovely and she affected him he saw her image in his dreams. She was kind and her voice was soft. Her touch was equally soft and caring.

Adam shifted his body to get the cramp out of his arm and his back. Rolling over he shifted his body to accommodate his size for the area he had selected to hide and rest. Again he dreamt this time it was of a lovely sweet faced lady, the feelings were intense for her she stood in her demure long dress of so long ago, her hair in long curls and her brown eyes wide with surprise and her love complete for a man he could not see.

He felt aroused when dreaming of these two women that were total strangers to him. Then he saw a young man with sandy blond hair, bright blue eyes and a tense smile that would cross his lips then his bottom lip would tremble. He held mixed emotions for this man. They ran from friendship, to anger, to protectiveness. He studied the man and could hear a name being said, "Wiiiilllll eeeeeee" He tired the name once then twice with more confidence. "Willie."

The dreams drifted from his mind and he slept soundly the only sound he could hear was the surf. He could see it roll and curled its waves like a gentle touch to the beach, only to retract and start anew in a perpetual motion. Adam sighed he found comfort in the sound. Smiling he allowed his newly found dreams of the two women fill him with the contentment their presence seemed to bring.

Eric was feeling anxious and somewhat frantic over the missing Adam, he was equally upset that Bradford had regained consciousness; leaving the house to where he could roam freely now with his newly formed powers of a day walker. Eric sighed turned and looked at Barnabas "I have some bad news Barnabas, that being that when you and Bradford held the same transference rod he got your abilities as a day walker and now he is missing with Adam, my creation." Eric braced for an explosive reaction and was disappointed Barnabas sat up and turned to slid from the cot he had rested on.

"Then I will find him and kill him. It is that simple." He had stated it so matter of fact that Eric was alarmed by his lack of emotion or empathy for the man that was responsible for making Barnabas into what he was.

"Do you think it wise to pursue this avenue to end his life, would mean you could end your own life, you, Adam and Bradford are tied to one another. To seek his destruction is to seek your own. If anything happens to you, they will die and if anything happens to them you will die with them."

Barnabas was angry, very angry and his emotions were being transmitted to Adam in his sleep and to Bradford. Adam sat up and shook his head. He did not like this feeling it made him feel bad. He needed to hit something, seeing a rock next to the one he had laid next to, he slammed his fist into his the rock shattering it with the force of his blow. The down side was when his hand made contact with the rock the pain was immediate. He yowled in pain as it shot through his fist and up his arm. Tears sprang to his eyes and he stopped to take his swollen fingers to his eyes to feel the wetness there.

He moaned while patting his eyes he began to cradle his wrist and hugged his arm to his chest and rocked crying like a little boy that gotten an injury and needed his mother to comfort him. Rising he looked to the front of the cave and thought of the dark haired woman he had dreamed up, his thoughts were go to her and maybe she could make it better. Standing he staggered out into the bright sunshine and looked to the west, that is where she was he just knew she was there. Moving with gaited steps he began to move towards Collinwood. His mind set to find the pretty lady in his dream. He knew she could help him make his hand feel better.

Peter felt the rage that burned in Barnabas and he wanted to destroy someone or something, he too began to think of Barnabas' family at Collinwood. He like Adam was fixated on Vicki he took off to try to get rid of this anger. He needed to hurt someone and he knew that those that lived in Collinwood if they were to die or be hurt, it would hurt Barnabas. He made his way to Collinwood other feelings washed over him, he could not think past needing to feed or hurt someone and the idea of hurting Barnabas where he lived This feeling made him feel better.

Barnabas felt the wave of pain wash over him he felt Adam's pain in his hand and his thoughts were immediately drawn to Vicki. Then he felt the anger that Bradford felt and his mind was set on Collinwood and the family there. "He is going to hurt my family I can feel his anger and his need."

Eric looked alarmed, "Who, whose pain and whose anger?" Eric needed to know this before he stopped Barnabas from rushing off. He needed to study these feelings and the manner in which they were transferred from one entity to another. "Tell me Barnabas whose feelings are you feeling? You need to direct from one to the other."

Barnabas closed his eyes and concentrated, "The pain is from the creature you call Adam. The hatred and anger if from Bradford, they both are headed to Collinwood, one to seek help, the other to destroy my family. I must leave you Eric. I have to protect those that I love." Barnabas stood and shifted into bat from in front of Eric heading to the door, he turned to mist and moved to under the door into the morning light to find himself reappearing as human Barnabas. The sunlight's affect was immediate to his eyes; they burned with a searing pain. He like Bradford squinted his eyes and tucked his chin.

Controlling the pain to his eyes, he dove to the shadows and found the pain lesson was the first of many he would learn how he was limited and how he had maintained his other abilities. Growling low he felt helpless but determined. He ran quickly from one dark spot to the other. He had to get there before Adam and Bradford.

Adam moved up to the rear entrance of the house and looked around, hearing voices near the gazebo he smiled, it was her voice and the voice of another a lady. Moving towards the ladies that sat in the settee in the gazebo. Adam stepped out in front of them startling them. Both were dark haired one with color changing eyes and the other with deep brown colored moved towards Vicki holding out his swollen hand softly grunting and near tears. The pain in his hand was making him want to cry. Vicki had gasped seeing the large man appear from the bushes and his face had been horribly scarred, Daphne shrank back until she saw his hand. "Vicki his hand is hurt, look it's swollen."

Vicki swallowed hard then took a step towards him, "Please let me see your hand." She held out her slender hand to him, he moved closer and smiled, "Momma?" His words were broken and child like he said the word a word much as a child he had said many times. She nodded and gently took his hand in her hand. Taking care to not bring pain to him

Adam whimpered, the touch was painful to him. Daphne stepped forward looking at the hand. "It looks like it might be broken Vicki, we need to get it x-rayed and have a cast put on it. I will go get my medical bag and bring it down here so we can splint it." Vicki nodded then smiled encouragingly to gently lead him with her to the settee.

"Sit down. Let me hold your hand." Her words were soothing and comforting he sniffed and looked from his hand to her face.

"Kiss make better momma?" Vicki felt awkward with this huge man that towered over her like a giant and seemed a little familiar. Gently she pressed her lips to his fingertips.

"It won't be long and Daphne will be back and we will take you to the hospital to make it all really better. Do you understand?" She gently held his hand; looking from him to the hand.

He smiled broadly and nodded, "Momma help Adam?" She looked up from his hand she held steady and then back down at his hand.

"Yes Adam I will help you." She spoke softly and he liked the sound of her voice. It was sweet and calming and filled him with a sense of security. She looked up at Daphne approach. "Oh good he is in a lot of pain Daphne, is this going to hurt?"

Daphne shook her head. "We just use a lot of care while splinting it and wrapping it. I think you need to do it, because if you hurt him, I have a feeling he won't react so strongly. I will walk you through what to do." Vicki nodded feeling a bit scared of hurting him if she went too quickly.

"Adam, I am going to put this." She held up a small wrapped board. "On your hand like this." She demonstrated what she had just heard Daphne say, so she lifted her hand and placed the wrapped board on her palm. "Then I am going to take some bandages and wrap it around your hand. Are you ready because it might hurt a little but I am going to be careful and I want you to be brave for me ok?"

Adam watched her like a devoted little boy, he slowly nodded his head he had put his complete faith and trust in 'momma'. With the gentlest of touches she slid the splint into his palm. Then carefully she began to wrap the gauze around the splint and his hand. "Momma loves Adam?" He lifted his good hand and gently cupped Vicki's face; his eyes searched hers and saw she was truly concerned about him and his injury.

"Momma loves all her baby boys Adam, you should know that." She tried not to recoil when he touched her face instead she smiled and she continued to gently wrap his hand. "Now, we need to go to the hospital and . . . "

"You won't go anywhere Miss Winters you are coming with me." Peter Bradford stepped out of the shadows, wearing a pair of dark sunglass with his collar pulled up around his face. "Don't try to run or get away, just come with me."

Adam looked over to Peter then he turned his gaze back to the frightened startled look on Vicki's features and he frowned. "No you won't hurt momma!" Adam stood up and in front of Vicki sheltering her from Peter. "You are a very bad man."

Peter smiled, "I am very bad and yes 'momma' is going to come with me." With superhuman speed he darted forward grabbed Vicki to him and found Adam was now holding him aloft. With a flick of his wrist Adam tossed Peter like an old rag into the garden.

"I told you, no hurt momma!" He advanced with wild rage on Bradford, his rage now being transmitted to Peter and Barnabas who arrived on the scene next to Vicki.

"Go inside and call Dr. Lang, tell him his patient is here and he needs to come now." He looked at Daphne who turned and ran towards the house and from sight. "Vicki, I want you to slowly back away and head to the old house and wait for me there."

Vicki's eyes were wide she watched the huge man advance on Bradford. "I can't leave him like that Barnabas, he is already hurt and he needs my help!" She exclaimed she stood her ground to protect the man that was confused about who she was and what she was to him.

"Victoria, you do not understand the danger you, Elizabeth, Roger, David, Quentin, and Carolyn are in. You must go now or we all may die!" he spoke with a firmness she had only suspected he possessed behind that old world gentlemanly façade he had put on for so many years.

"But Barnabas you don't understand he thinks I am his mother and he was protecting me!" She turned her gaze back to the behemoth of a man that now stood towering over Bradford and then she saw Bradford bare his teeth. "Oh my God!" she screamed.

Adam looked at the long teeth and he smiled, then he swiped his arm and Peter found himself air born again, flying across the yard to land with a hard thud on the ground. Barnabas moved quickly to Bradford's side lifting him he ran from Adam, he had to get Bradford away from him and from Collinwood or they all three may die. Rushing Bradford away from the large man he dropped him to the ground. "You will not do harm to that man or my family Bradford, if you do, I promise you we all three will die because I don't care what it takes I will end your life here and now." Barnabas was trying hard to keep his temper down and his anger under control and being so close to Bradford he could see that Bradford was beginning to calm.

"Very good, now just listen to me and if you don't believe me I will make a believer out of you. That experiment you interrupted last night was a life force transference, you shared a part of your curse and your life with that monster, and because we both held the transference rod. That rod at the time of the life force transference occurred connected all three of us! We all three are tied together for the rest of our lives." Barnabas took a breath let it out slowly and continued with his explanation. Bradford looked down at the ground thinking about the words he was speaking.

"Had it only been me and that creature we would be tied together and you would not be affected and I would have been human again. Because you interfered, you share my abilities as a day walker and a part of his human abilities. Unfortunately he also shares all of our abilities. Because of this we all three are tied together. If any of the three of us die we all die. Do you understand what an incredible fool you were for interfering now? Your life is no longer your own to do with as you see fit."

Barnabas was incredibly angry but holding his temper in check and he could see that Bradford was holding his own anger under control. "So you are telling me that when you are angry or he is angry I feel those emotions and feelings? Is that what has been happening to me?"

"Yes, Dr. Lang explained it all in detail and I had a preparation serum to insulate me a little from any nasty after affects, you have not and all your anger, all our outrage even your love for another will be felt by all three of us until Lang can figure out how to insulate the three of us from this transference."

Peter paced back and forth rubbing his hand over the back of his neck he was thinking about what he had just learned. "So we can be human if we transfer our curse over to a dead body? Is that what you are telling me? We can live a normal happy life and find love, grow old and die and not depend on the blood of another?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you. Lang and Hoffman together have found a way to allow us into the world we once enjoyed, we loved, we lived and we can grow old and we can be as we once were." Barnabas' voice was soft as his mind traveled back to a happier and loving time with his mother, sister, and his beloved Josette.

These emotions were immediately transmitted to Adam and Bradford. Adam turned and rushed to Vicki his arms going around her protectively, "Momma in danger, momma must come with Adam to be safe." He swept Vicki up and she struggled against his hold.

"Adam put me down darling, you might hurt momma!" She tried to coax him with a nervous and soothing tone. She patted his arm softly, "You might hurt your hand more, now put me down."

"No Momma is in trouble, we need to go hide." Vicki felt a panic rise in her and she shook her head.

"No momma is fine, now put her down." He set her down and Vicki opened her mouth to scream, when Adam placed his hand over her nose and mouth. The affect was immediate; Vicki was unconscious and being scooped up by Adam.

"I told you momma in danger come with me." He carried her off towards the rear woods of the Collin's estate. Moving quickly to a place in the woods that was at one time an old shack that had been long abandoned many years ago. Carrying her inside he gently laid her down on an old cot. "Momma safe now, Adam makes sure she be safe forever."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Bradford, you have been the bane of my existence since I can remember, you were told to leave you came back! I am willing to face death to see you gone forever. I will not allow anything to harm my family or future family again!" Barnabas lunged at Bradford, grabbing him by his throat.

Peter grabbed by the incredibly strong hands feeling himself propelled backwards into a low hung branch the limb drove its way up and through his back and into his heart, Barnabas felt the incredible pain of the sharp object through his body weakening him enough that he dropped his hold on Bradford and fell to the ground clutching his chest.

The life left Peter's eyes, Barnabas felt a part of himself die with him. He was not dead! He had not died only a part of him felt very weak and sickened by the act he just committed on a man that at one time had been his best friend.

In the dilapidated house in the woods, Adam felt a pain in his heart. Clutching his hand to his heart he slumped to the ground feeling weakened. The sickness of emotion washed over him and he called out "Momma! Mommas help Adam! Adam feels bad." Adam closed his eyes and felt himself drifting on a sea of pain.

Barnabas sat up with labored breathing; feeling the pain of loss and oddly vulnerable. Looking up at the image before him he smiled. There was Bradford impaled lifeless on a low hung branch. He moved to pull Bradford from the limb he felt a sudden resurgence of power fill him and Bradford opened his eyes. Barnabas screamed out in frustration. "No, you are dead!"

Bradford shoved against Barnabas and stood drawing up his form to stand before Barnabas. "Once the stake is removed we live again Barnabas. Now it is my turn to seek my own vengeance on you!" Bradford advanced on the weakened Barnabas his eyes glowing with hatred.

From the shadows a tall figure appeared and shouted, "You forgot Bradford, you forgot about me. I like my cousin will not allow our family to be harmed by the likes of you or any other of your kind." Quentin stood brandishing a silver cross in front of him, his own eyes filled with righteous indignation.

Bradford looked up to see the light shining off the cross, raised his arm to cover his eyes and shouted, "NO, put it away! Put it away!" From behind Willie stepped forward pulling silver chains out of the bag he carried he moved forward and bound the body of Peter Bradford in those chains.

"It is time you feel what he felt for years, it is time that you feel the pain you caused the Collins family, time for you to know how much we Collins bond together when we need each other. Do you know why? Because that is what families do." Willie finished locking the silver plated chains around Bradford.

"Now what?" Willie asked watching Bradford fall to the ground in pain. Quentin smiled, "I think perhaps he needs to see what it is like to be trapped in a coffin and buried alive for an eternity." Quentin reached down and hefted Bradford up on his feet.

"You take care of Barnabas Willie, while I take care of Mr. Bradford." Quentin jerked Bradford along the path and disappeared they took the path to Collinwood. Willie bent down checking on Barnabas.

"Barnabas come on let's get you back to the old house and I will call Julia or Dr. Lang." He hooked his hand under Barnabas' arm. Willie with his strength helped and guided Barnabas up to a standing position. "Ready?" He looked anxiously at his friend and boss.

Barnabas leaned weakly against Willie, "Willie, and thank you for all you have done for me. I am sorry, for what I have done to you and if you want to leave my control or me. I will release you." His words were said with a softness Willie had heard only reserved for Vicki. For a moment Willie thought about what he had said.

"You are not yourself Barnabas, come on let's get you back to the old house and to a bed. You need to rest." With caring hands and softness to his own voice Willie felt oddly touched by the offer Barnabas just made. This man he had called a monster had controlled him for what seemed forever; that the thought of being freed from him was disconcerting.

"We can talk about it later Barnabas, come on let's get you home." Willie was talking to him like a child. "We will get you to a bed and let you lie down. You are going to be better soon. Doc Hoffman and Doc Lang can fix you." He was speaking but not really paying attention to what he was saying.

Vicki opened her eyes for a moment the disorientation of being in a strange area caused her to have flash backs to when she had been kidnapped and held by that horrible man that had gotten her hooked on drugs. A panic was beginning to well inside her and she wanted to scream. Then she heard the moan and the deep voice of the man-child, "Momma help Adam! Momma help Adam, scared, hurt, no one can hurt momma."

Sitting up she looked around in the dark area and saw the huge man lying on the floor. Sliding down to him, she put his head in her lap. "Shhh Adam, momma is here. Momma is going to help you." Vicki ran her slender fingers across his forehead, pushing his hair from his eyes. "It is ok Adam, momma is here."

Adam opened his eyes and with the eyes of a pure innocence he peered up smiling at Vicki. "Momma makes it all better?" He had trust in his gaze. He watched her looking down into his eyes. He gave a attentive little smile, reached up his large hand and cupped her cheek with his palm. "Momma so pretty, momma loves Adam, Adam trusts momma!"

"Yes Adam, momma will try to make it better. But for me to make it better, I have to go get help. Will you wait here for momma?" She looked into his eyes knowing that he needed to let her go find help she felt conflicted because she did not wish to leave him alone. Then she saw the fear edge his eyes and face when she said she had to leave.

"No momma in danger, momma stay with Adam, just holds Adam." He gripped her arm with such strength she felt he would break her arm.

"Adam let go you are hurting momma." She tugged on her arm trying to break the hold. Adam looked confused then let her go.

"Adam sorry, Adam not wanted to hurt momma." He let go of her arm then pushed himself up to sit in front of Vicki. "Adam feeling better, Momma be safe now. Adam not let anyone hurt momma." He sat like an obedient child in front of Vicki.

Vicki scooted back and sighed, "Adam you have to let Momma go back to Collinwood, back to my family. You can come with me and we will get the doctor to look you over to make sure you are unharmed. My family will protect us both."

Adam's features clouded as he tried to think about what she was saying; showing that he did not understand. Vicki pushed her hair back and had to think how she could control him in this child like state. "Adam take care of momma, Adam pro tect momma." He began to get that stubborn look to him he crossed his arms like an errant child.

Vicki had to think, "Adam can protect momma at Collinwood. You have to come with me to help momma stay safe, so you can protect me in a warm house with food and clean bed and clothing." She tugged on the nasty dirty blanket she had laid on and hid her revulsion of what it could have possibly housed while she laid on it.

"You come with momma to Collinwood and protect momma there." She stood and held out her hand to him. Adam looked with complete trust to the hand and frowned, reaching up he took her hand and let her help him stand.

"Come with momma?" He innocently asked as he watched her face a childish smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, Adam come with momma to a warm home and protect her there." He let go over her hand towering over her. "Okay Adam go to warm house to protect momma." Vicki moved to the door and opened it watching the darkness descend over them. Turning she took his large hand in her small one and lead him out into the woods area. Standing she turned to get her bearings and then headed to the south where she knew Collinwood rested on the hill.

Adam held lightly to her hand and followed much like a child would follow his mother. Vicki smiled as she began to sing softly to him to keep him preoccupied, "We are going to try and sing a song Adam to make us feel better ok?" He nodded and waited to hear her sing. Softly she began to sing, "The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout! Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the water and the itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout!"

Adam smiled hearing the song then he tried the song with her while they walked along the pathway back to Collinwood. Halfway back Adam looked up at the huge house and stopped pulling Vick back against him. "That place is bad! It scares Adam!" Vicki spoke soothingly to him.

"No Adam, not bad just big. It is where Momma lives and is very safe there." She turned and took his hand. "Come on, Momma will show you. It is all right to come with Momma." She gently took his hand in hers and walked forward only to feel him resist. Pulling her back to him. Once again she gently tugged his hand. Softly she spoke, "Come on sweetie, momma will protect you and you protect momma." She felt him reluctantly give to her tug and they moved forward only to have him stop, his eyes narrow and a frown appear on his face. Vicki followed his line of sight and there was Quentin at the edge of the house near the rear entrance tugging on something.

"It is ok Adam that is Quentin he is a good person, he helped momma a lot. You let him go in the rear of the house and we will go in the front and I will introduce you to everyone." She stepped foreword and felt her body physically lifted.

"NO! Momma in danger, bad man with Quen TIN! Bad very bad man with Quen TIN." Adam picked up Vicki and ran towards Widow's Hill with her. Pausing on the edge of the hill he looked around then to the bottom. "We hide down there!"

Vicki's life filtered before her very eyes she watched with horror filling her body as Adam leapt from the hill holding her close to his body. The impact was body jarring and knocking the breath from her leaving her breathless. She was shocked they were not dead. Adam looked down watching her struggle to get her breath and she lay quietly on his chest then she struggled to get her breath back. "Momma hurt! Adam fix!" Lifting her he started to run with her down the beach towards Collinsport.

Quentin pushed Bradford into the rear entrance of Collinwood. Taking him into the west wing he led him down the hallway to the stairway of time. Pausing in front of the closet he opened it and waited. Because it was his invention and it reacted to his presence they did not have long to wait. Pushing him through the door and onto the stairs, Quentin began to think of the year 2210. The stairs appeared going up.

Dragging him up the stairs until they stopped and a door appeared. Quentin opened the door to find the house was oddly different, not liking the feel of this time he pushed Bradford back in and slammed the door shut. In all honesty he could not put the people of this time in danger by him even remotely having a chance of escaping.

Turning he paused and smiled. Once again he began to form a date in his mind, "What do you hope to accomplish?" Bradford snarled. "I plan to make sure you never bother this family again, I could drive that stake back in your heart but I don't believe in violence of that nature, so I want to punish you in a fitting way."

Thinking of a date he waited and the steps appeared heading down, Moving down the steps with the darkness surrounding them all around except for the steps, they stopped in front of a door, Quentin opened the door, stepped out into the hallway and drug Bradford with him. The west wing of Collinwood had not appeared so different except it appeared it was being used again, Stepping down the hallway, Quentin drug him into one of the many secret passages in the house. Pushing Bradford along in front of him, Quentin navigated the passages to an outside exit. There he paused and looked around.

It had not changed that much but there were subtle differences a freshness, pulling Bradford forward he led him once again down the pathway towards Eagle Hill Cemetery and paused, there he found what he needed, an open grave. With a running backhoe sitting idle next to the grave and a coffin inside the grave with the vault lowered over it. Shoving Bradford down into the grave he smiled.

"I think this would be befitting but I am not that heartless. Lowering the backhoe down to the side of the vault, he lifted it off the coffin, and then climbing down into the grave, he opened the casket. Looking down at the embalmed form of an elderly woman with blue hair he spoke softly. "Forgive me Madam but I have need of this casket." Shoving Bradford into the casket, he put the silver cross he used earlier around the elderly ladies neck then faced her down on Bradford.

"Rest in Peace Bradford." He dropped the casket lid on the two. Bradford started screaming and Quentin smiled, climbing back up the arm of the backhoe he slowly began to drop the vault on the casket, which muffled the screams of Bradford. Slowly he moved the dirt over and into the grave, with each shovel full the screams became less and less. As the last of the dirt was moved into place, Quentin heard the screams no more.

Lunch ended for the gravediggers they moved back to cover the grave and Quentin smiled passing them he nodded to them. He could imagine their surprise when they got there and discovered their job was already done. He could not help but chuckle softly he headed back to Collinwood. He paused one more time to look around at the place in the year 2020. "Seems appropriate some how. " He muttered and made his way back to the hallway of Collinwood to the closet door in the west wing.

Adam rushed down the hill towards the rear entrance to the lab of Dr. Lang. Moving towards the lab door he tried to open it and found it did not budge. With care he set Vicki down on the steps then turned and forced the door open. Turning he bent to pick Vicki up and set her on the nearby cot. "You wait here momma, Adam find you help."

He looked around the room filled with anxiety as he felt another stranger feeling one of suffocation he started to the door, his knees buckled sending him tumbling down to the floor with a heavy thump. Adam clutched his throat he tried to find breath; his mouth began to move like a guppy out of water. His eyes wide and filled with fear he struggled to move back to Vicki knocking over a table sending the bottles and tubes crashing to the floor. "Help momma. Help momma." He struggled to move to Vicki's side.

Vicki had regained her breath and when Adam fell she screamed. The scream echoing and reacting up the stairs to the occupants residing there. Julia looked up her face paling hearing the scream; Eric sprang up from his desk and together the two moved to the lab to peer down below.

Julia recognized Vicki's voice from below. "Someone please help me! Please someone help me!" She was beginning to sound hysterical. Julia clutched Eric's arm.

"That is Vicki's voice." Together they moved down the stairs to stop and stare at the huge man lying over Vicki's body crying for his momma. "Is that Adam?" Julia moved forward to prepare a sedative for both of them. Eric moved to Adam and Vicki.

"Adam?" Eric said his name with caution and due care while trying to lift him off of Vicki. "Adam, turn and look at me." Adam turned and looked over the man that knew his name. "Adam, its Dr. Lang. I am here to help you and Miss Winters. You have to get off of her you are crushing her."

Adam pushed Eric away. "No momma hurt, need help, get help here!" He pushed up when the suffocating symptom passed. With the pressure off of her torso, Vicki drew in breath.

"Oh Julia, Dr. Lang, I don't know where he came from, he thinks I am his mother. He seems to be very protective of me." Adam hovered around Vicki watching Julia and Eric with suspicion.

"You help momma?" He asked he studied Julia and then Eric. Julia was the first one to approach with the two syringes hidden behind her back.

"Yes, we are going to help you and your momma. I just want to help you relax. Will you let me help you and your momma?" Her voice was soft and soothing trying to cajole him into allowing her to approach him. Adam looked around suspiciously to his surroundings. Instinctively he knew this place meant someone could help he did not know why but he knew it was ok for him to be there.

"You help momma first, Adam feeling better now." He stepped back and watched Julia approach Vicki.

"Vicki, I have a low dosage sedative I want to give you to help you relax and allow you to feel better. Will you let me give you this shot?" Julia pulled both syringes around to show her what she had held behind her back.

Vicki tensed, "It will not bring back my craving for a narcotic will it?" She was truly worried about not being addicted again.

"No, it will not. It is a small dosage of Valium and it will relax you enough that Eric can take you upstairs and let you lie down while we contact Barnabas to come and get you. I can only imagine your fear and your concerns over what Adam has done to bring you here."

Adam moved forward "No you hurt momma?" He was curious about the thing in Julia's hand. Vicki turned to put a hand of comfort on Adam's arm.

"No, no, Adam Julia is my friend, she would not hurt me only help me. She is going to give me something to help me relax and maybe sleep. You should let her give you a shot too." Vicki smiled for Adam and then nodded to Julia to go ahead.

Vicki watched Julia take the syringe and injected the medicine into her arm, "You will feel a little burning sensation and . . . " She watched Vicki as she lowered her lashes and then slumped forward into a slow even sleep. "Eric, take Vicki upstairs so she can lie down on the sofa. Then call Barnabas to come and get her."

Julia turned to the now dumbfounded Adam, "You hurt momma she is not talking!" He was growing alarmed and angry when Julia patted his arm softly.

"No Adam, I helped her relax and sleep. She needed to sleep she has been very upset so it is good to have her sleep." She laid the used syringe on the table. "I want to help you too Adam." He watched Eric lift Vicki from the table and walk to the door.

"No! I want to go with Momma, you let me go with Momma?" He moved forward gently setting Julia to the side to follow Eric up the stairs. Julia followed holding the second syringe. Adam like a devoted small child followed Eric to the living room and the sofa.

Adam sat on the floor beside Vicki, his hand going to brush her hair from her face. "Momma helped me. Now I will help momma."

Julia looked from Eric to Adam her mind confused by this association of a mother and Vicki as that mother. "I am wondering if he feels Vicki is a mother because Barnabas loves her and wants her as his wife." She noted how devoted he had become to Vicki.

"He needed to have a mother figure because he is still very much a child Julia so this is his way of taking the feelings he must feel from Barnabas and transferring them to Vicki as a mother figure. There has to be more to the symbiotic association and feeling than his need for a mother figure with his mind so young."

"His strength seemed to be incredible, how was he able to tear that door from its hinges? We really need to do something about that door down there it seems it can be breeched by about anything or anyone lately." Julia's tone was dry with sarcasm.

This elicited a grin from Eric, "Well at least our protégé came back to us. I am not having to look all over creation for my creation."

Julia nodded, "Look he is so worried about her he has laid his head close to her head so he can hear her breathe."

Both of them looked on at the amazing connection between the two. "My concerns are how far can we go with him? It would appear that he has attached his feelings to Vicki as a mother figure how will he react to Barnabas?"

Julia nodded she studied the two together, "If it follows the track it very well may turn out that he will become jealous of Barnabas in the beginning if he feels he is taking her attention away from him. We are going to have to monitor this closely. "

"I agree, we will need to study the reaction to both him and Barnabas and I wonder if they found that other vampire Bradford so we can do control studies of his reaction to our Adam and Bradford and Barnabas." Lang watched very curious. "Separation of the two is going to be a bit of a pickle you know."

Julia nodded, "I wonder if we could move them all to Wyndcliff so we can control the study there?" It was a thought she could put them in a unused wing of the sanatorium and continue to study them as this progressed in this new found relationship.

"You may get some resistance to this from Bradford and Barnabas and I am sure Miss Winters would not wish to be away from David or Collinwood."

Barnabas lay in his bed at the old house. His mind was filled with fear and terror as he felt the area around him close off and become cloistering. There was an odd smell that filled his senses, he perceived he must be in the ground and there it was again a metallic odd smell and the hint of perfume. It was the smell of roses and powder that brought him sitting in an upright position. He looked around the dark room and took a long deep breath a part of him was human he had the ability to now deep breath and let it out slowly. Then there was the supernatural part of him that clung to what he had been for so long. His first thoughts were of Vicki and then Bradford.

He said his name out loud and heard a deep voice in the dark. "You don't need to worry about him any more. I took care of him." Quentin stepped from the shadows with a smirk on his face. "He won't ever bother us again cousin."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Quentin sat on the edge of his bed. "Cousins stick together when something evil tries to devour their lives and those they love, so I did what I could and I took care of Bradford. He is far away from here and won't bother anyone again."

Barnabas put his hand on his shoulder squeezing it offering up a sly grin. "I thank you 'cousin' for helping me. I was sure that I would have died if he had died; all it did was weaken me. However, because of his interference I was not made human again. I am as I was only a little weaker and able to walk in the daylight." His voice had grown regretful. "How am I to marry Victoria if I am not as she? At least I can live the daylight hours with her but I swear Quentin, I will not hunt the night as I once did. How could I have children and be a normal man?" His sadness was infectious he spoke and Quentin could feel his dilemma with how things had turned out with Lang and Hoffman.

"Barnabas, I think we can satisfy the need for blood you have very easily. We tell the family that you have a blood disease and ask if they will donate blood on your behalf, Julia has access to blood and so does Lang. We take it from there and you don't have to hunt the night."

Barnabas stood on shaky legs moving to the window that over looked the front lawn of the old house. Soon, this area would be covered in snow and ice and it would be as bleak as his outlook on life. "I wanted to be human for our marriage. Now how am I to know that one night in our sleep I will not awaken and try to take from her as I once did others? You know as well as I that I have done it before I could do it again."

Quentin stood moved to his cousin's side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Whatever we will figure it out Barnabas, we always have and I know we always will."

Vicki moved against the gentle brushing against her hair and face she softly muttered, "Barnabas, I love you Barnabas." Turning she kissed the palm of the hand that had been stroking her hair. Once again she fell into a deep troubled sleep but it was a deep sleep.

Adam watched as her eyes moved under her eyelids and gently touched her brow. "Who is Barnabas?" He turned and looked at Julia and Eric. Waiting for their answer.

"Barnabas is her fiancé, he loves her very much and wishes to marry her." Eric offered as the answer to the man-child that sat protectively next to Vicki.

"What is marrying?" He was processing everything and storing it for use to draw on later he intently studied the man with white hair and black glasses, the lady next to him was a skinny lady with arched eyebrows and intense eyes.

She was watching him with a pursed lips and pinched look about her face. Adam was not inclined to like either of them but Momma seemed to like them. She was the one that stood wincing as she did, holding her balance of the balls of her feet she looked kindly into his gaze and spoke softly, "When two people love one another they go to a ceremony that bonds them as what we call husband and wife. They marry, they have children, small helpless babies and then they grow old together and they eventually die."

Julia hoped she had put it in simplest terms that he could process what she had said and understood. She noted how he had watched her intently and listened to what she had said.

She further noted that with the look he now wore on his face he was trying to assimilate the response and put it back into his own terms of understanding. "Momma will have a daddy for me too?" He had taken what she had said and tried to put it in form to what he understood his brief time here in this world and she had to wonder if he was drawing that information from the donor of the brain, was this his reasoning?

"Eric, do you think that a part of our donor is still alert in a part of his brain?" She stood up, taking the pressure off of her knees. Turning she moved back to his side.

"You answer Adam, is Momma going to give me a Daddy?" Adam was irritated that she had moved away from him being rude and not answering his question. The clouded look on his face showed he did not like being ignored.

Eric stepped forward towards Adam stooping down he looked into Adam's eyes. "Adam, I am your Uncle Eric and that lady there is your Aunt Julia, and we are saying yes, Barnabas will be your daddy. Vicki, momma as you call her is going to marry Barnabas and then he will be your daddy. Do you understand?"

Adam nodded slowly, "I understand momma loves Barnabas and will marry her and she will be momma and he will be daddy?" He looked very curiously at Julia and then directed his gaze back to Eric.

"That is correct Adam, you will be one big happy family. But, as you grow with your mental abilities and your ability to understand things on a higher level, she will become Victoria and he will become Barnabas and you will have a life separate from them. Do you understand that?"

Adam shook his head. "No, I don't want to leave. I want to stay with momma, protect her, she is my momma and I love her. " He huddled closer to Vicki as he spoke. Eric mentally thought this was going to be a big problem. He had to get him directed towards something more important.

"Julia, thoughts? You know this could be a big problem." Eric watched Adam huddled close and protectively to Vicki. Eric had turned to peer up at Julia when he asked for her thoughts.

"I think we need Elliott to help us out. If we can get him interested in studies and reading and learning more and the higher his comprehension level grows he will soon gravitate to another life and another form of wanting to survive. He will eventually break that emotional and mental umbilical cord to Vicki."

"Why don't you call Elliott, then call Barnabas, we are going to have to introduce Adam to them slowly and one at a time I think." Eric considered how he would get Adam to leave Vicki while she slept.

"Adam, would you bring Momma and take her upstairs to the spare bedroom and put her on the bed. I think she would be more comfortable and safe there, then you could come down here and talk with Uncle Eric and Aunt Julia."

Adam seemed resistant until he heard "Momma' speak softly. "I will be ok, take me up to the bed Adam, Momma will be safe." Adam smiled, stood, lifted Vicki and followed Eric up the stairs to the spare bedroom, where he gently laid her on the bed.

He looked at her one more time, bent to brush her hair from her face and then turned to leave the room, closing the door behind him.

Following Eric he turned one more time to look at the closed door. "Momma is safe?" He seemed reluctant to leave her unattended.

Eric nodded, "Momma is very safe there and she will be comfortable. Adam there is so much I want to teach you and help you to learn so you can be a big boy on your own." Eric used his coaxing tone while leading him back down the stairs to the living room.

"I don't want to be alone, I want to stay with Momma. She needs me to protect her against bad man." He followed Eric to the sofa where Eric indicated he should sit.

"Sit Adam and let us talk. I want you to meet someone that is very smart and teaches at a college nearby, he teaches big boys and big girls." He tried to keep it simple while he explained about Stokes and his abilities to teach to big boys and big girls.

Adam listened intently his mind assessing and knowing some words but unable to articulate what he comprehended. "Will I like this Elliott?" He was starting to understand a lot more just by talking and listening to Uncle Eric.

"Yes and you will call him Uncle Elliott. Most big boys and big girls call him Professor because that is what he is, a Professor, he teaches and that is what they call the teachers where he teaches."

Adam listened not saying a word. He glanced up when Julia entered the room and it was then he noticed she walked with a limp and seemed to be uncomfortable. "Aunt Julia should sit down, she looks like she is in pain."

Eric was surprised by his observation he spoke of Julia being in pain. "Yes, you are right Adam, Aunt Julia should sit down she was in a bad accident. She is not healed totally."

Julia smiled her appreciation and moved to a chair to lower herself onto the seat with a slight grunt and a soft moan. Adam watched her with an intentness she almost felt he was dissecting her with his thoughts. "Elliott will be over after his last class, he said he would bring something simple to help him learn to read and write. He actually suggested that since Adam is so tied to Vicki we might use her for his rudimentary lessons while he deals with the more complex subjects. He is interested to see quickly he is able to comprehend things and how far we can go in teaching him."

Eric interjected. "I knew he would be interested once I told him my hypothesis of how I planned to proceed with this experiment." Eric moved to Julia's side and sat on the edge of her chair. "Adam would you be interested in staying here and living with Aunt Julia and me for a while? We can make sure that momma comes every day to visit with you and help you learn. She is after all a teacher."

Adam looked curious. "Momma is a professor like Uncle Elliott?" He was most curious about this bit of information that Eric had just imparted.

"No, for little boys and little girls that need to learn they are called teachers." Eric was trying to think of a way to explain the concept of a teacher as opposed to a Professor.

"Rebecca." Adam said the name and smiled, "I had a teacher named Rebecca, and she was very nice to me. She helped me a lot and I was able to get through freshman year with her help."

Adam had recalled a memory from his past life. This astonished Eric and Julia. "We need to keep a journal on this Eric and record these bits of information when he finds and remembers them." Julia had spoken softly to Eric.

"I agree this is really fascinating. Adam do you recall anything else about this Rebecca?" Eric had moved to a roll topped desk, finding a journal book and pen he moved back to Julia's side and sat, making a quick note of 'Rebecca' and the memory experienced by the test subject.

"I remember she smiled and laughed a lot, she was small and had red hair. She told me that no matter how hard things seemed, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. She helped me and tutored me. I remember her eyes were a deep blue and they seemed to sparkle when she talked about a book we had read together."

Julia gasped softly, "That is such a complete and well thought out memory. I really think he is recalling his past life Eric. This is wonderful news. See if he can remember anything else."

Adam yawned and then blinked his eyes. "Adam tired, Adam need to sleep." He looked around the room. "I go up and sleep on floor next to Momma."

"No Adam we are going to let you sleep in the room next door to Momma's room. Come along, you can take a nap until the Professor arrives." Eric led him up the stairs and next to Vicki's room. The rooms had a connecting door and Julia opened the door so that Adam could lie on the bed and see 'momma' sleeping in her bed.

Seeing him comfortably situated in the room and watching him fall asleep, Eric left the room, pulling the door to the hallway close behind him. Moving back down stairs he sat next to Julia, "Did you get Barnabas?"

Julia nodded, "But he is not feeling well, apparently the reason that Adam brought Vicki here was because of Bradford, he attacked Barnabas when he went to protect Vicki from an attack by Bradford. From what Quentin told me, he took care of Bradford and we will not have any more problems with him."

Eric frowned, "What if he dies what will happen to Adam?" Eric stood and began to pace, "What if Adam dies then what will happened, the three of them are tied together."

"Well from what Quentin indicated he has more to tell us about Adam, Barnabas, and Bradford when they get here which should be anytime." Julia too had grown concerned over the disposed of Bradford. She glanced about the room noting the oriental carpeting, the spatter of small end tables and a coffee table, the pole light that sat behind one of the chairs and was more than likely put there to accommodate Eric when he read at night. The room was large and airy with the high ceilings accented by the antique chandelier converted from gas to electric.

It was a comfortable room and obviously belonged to a bachelor, she had plans of softening the look to a more feminine with her touches. Her thoughts were distracted by a knock at the door.

"Oh that must be Quentin and Barnabas now." She stood when Eric stood motioning her to reseat herself.

"I will get it my dear. You rest." He moved to kiss her forehead and then went to answer the door. Stepping aside he allowed Quentin and Barnabas to enter the room. "So glad you could make it gentlemen, do come in and make yourself at home."

Eric followed them into the parlor. "Would either of you like something to drink while we wait for Elliott?" Eric moved to a small sideboard that held some bottles of liquor.

Quentin smiled, "How about a brandy for me." He looked to Barnabas who shook his head. Julia stood and moved to a water carafe pouring herself a glass of water. Moving back to her chair she sat down holding the water close to chest.

"Well I guess we have ourselves a pickle here, Adam my creation has for some odd reason attached his affection for a mother to Vicki, he said he was protecting her from the bad men. Would one of you like to explain?"

Barnabas sighed leaning back he was tired and he was confused as well as feeling uncomfortable a part of him was still relating to Adam, he no longer felt Bradford since he died on that branch. He was kicking himself for pulling the stake out.

He had not known that by doing so it would reanimate a vampire and this annoyed him. Bradford knew and that was why he was so confident in lording it over Barnabas. Bradford had time to be free and learn more about his limitations and his powers. Whereas; he was still learning about these newly found abilities.

A part of him was feeling cheated and he was not a happy. More so he was not happy that he was still learning about his abilities and his newfound abilities. He certainly was not ready to challenge until he had more time to adjust. "Yes, well once I had discovered my curse was still on me I was thinking of my mother and my sister. Then I thought of Vicki and I was going to see her. That is when Bradford must have felt my feelings and he too decided to go to Vicki."

Barnabas stood and moved to the nearest window he peered outside. "We fought. I killed him. He was thrown against a tree limb that went through his body through his heart. I felt him die, I felt him leave my body and I grew stronger from his death." Barnabas turned and looked the room over, "I went and pulled him from the branch and when the branch was removed from his heart he was restored and came at me with a vengeance. That is when Quentin showed up with a silver cross and Willie had silver chains."

He turned to Quentin; "You should explain what happened afterwards I was taken home due to my weakened state by his reemergence into life again."

Quentin accepted the glass of brandy from Eric looked at the color, swirled it around in the glass then took a sip. "There is something I have never told any of you about. It has been a family secret since the first Quentin decided he wanted to travel through time." Quentin knew he had their attention. "There is a secret stairway through time in the west wing of Collinwood. It is activated by anyone that has Quentin Collins genes in him, which would be me. I can open the door and activate the stairway through time. Which I did." He lifted his glass and swallowed.

"I took Bradford to the year 2020. There was in Eagle Hill Cemetery an open grave with a running backhoe sitting idle next to the grave, I put him in the casket with the previous occupant a nice older lady and buried the casket with him in it."

The occupants of the Lang's parlor were stunned. "Really a stairway in time?" Eric was the first to comment and he sounded fascinated by what he had just heard.

"Yes, my Great. Great grandfather wanted to invent and travel through time. So, he found a way to create this stairway and well I used it on occasion when I needed research for my book I was writing. I would dress for the period I would be going to and come out of the west wing closet to that time."

"The problem is that to use it you must do it during a time that Collinwood existed. I could go back to the time that Barnabas laid in that damn coffin chained and release him if I had wanted to and not allow him to lay there isolated in darkness for as long as he did."

He smiled while he studied his glass then glanced up at Barnabas. "This is simply fascinating! Why keep something this wonderful to yourself?" Eric enthused he thought about the possibilities that this stairway in time could produce for him. He could become wealthy and world renowned if he had access to it.

"The reason to keep something like that hidden would be to protect the future, if you change the course of life as it is now represented, and then you go back and change one thing then the reality we know would no longer exist." Elliott spoke as he walked into the room.

"Sorry, I did knock and no one answered so I let myself in. I hope you don't mind." Eric stood moving to Elliott's side offering his hand as a gesture of welcome.

"Not in the least Elliott we are glad that you were able to get here so soon. Did you hear Quentin's story?"

Elliott nodded to those present accepted a glass of sherry that Julia had gone to get him, sipped it with a satisfied smile. "I did and I believe that Quentin has done the right thing in not using it for his own benefit. To do so would alter our reality here and it could very well result in one of us dying or not being born. That he has kept this secret as long as he has is commendable. I salute you Quentin." Elliott raised his glass in a salute the swallowed again. "Now as to the current situation we have here. Adam obviously has found a mother figure to cling to. Unfortunately, it is our dear Victoria. So we must do the separation gradually. To do so we will see if she can come daily to teach him the rudiments of reading writing and arithmetic."

Elliott moved to the sofa and lowered his body to the sofa's seat. Taking care to hold his sherry so he would not spill any of it. "I would like to assess him when the first possible time presents itself. Then I would say we start the separation now. Perhaps Barnabas and Quentin could take Miss Winters home to Collinwood and see her safely ensconced there in her room."

Barnabas nodded, "I agree but I feel she might be well protected at my house for now. Then what and how do you propose we proceed with this new project?" Barnabas was disappointed he had not become human. He showed his disappointed in the tone and sound of his voice when he spoke.

Eric was the first to catch and make note of the information that Barnabas had passed along. "Barnabas you said that once Bradford died you felt the death and then nothing?"

Barnabas nodded, "After the death occurred, I felt a little weak but I was alive. After he was resurrected I felt his anger but not much more, I believe a part of him that was a part of me had been severed and I will say about an hour ago, that suffocating feeling I had experienced when Quentin said he buried him in the ground. That part left me. So I am not sure why if it is because he is in a time I have not lived or this staircase that Quentin spoke of."

Eric stood and began to pace. "But death separated you and you remained alive. Apparently Adam must have felt something of the same but has not since shown any concern or feelings of suffocating since you took Bradford to the future."

Elliott nodded, "That would seem to be the answer to our problem for now. How much intelligence as Adam shown?"

Julia leaned forward, "he has done more than just express and show his capacity to learn he has latent memories that have been surfacing, and we believe he is remembering things from the donor's past life. He recalled a schoolteacher in his freshman year of high school by the name of Rebecca. He vividly described how she mentored and helped him through the school year which was apparently a difficult period of time for him."

"Now that is truly remarkable, perhaps that personality and memories of the donor are the ones he is trying to adapt and perfect. Is he interested in learning more?"

"He seemed to be very interested in wanting to learn and he is very protective of Vicki. We may have a separation problem with him when it comes to her." Julia commented then took a slow drink from her glass of water.

"Then we make sure he has concentrated time with Victoria and allow her to teach him, we will reimagine a new image of Victoria for him, perhaps one as a teacher."

"We can give them time together but begin the separation process when I take over completely, I plan to be at most his lessons including those with Miss Winters." Elliott had appeared to decide how this was going to play out and everyone's role they would play.

"I think the sooner we get started on this project the quicker we can conclude this farce that she is his mother and the separation process should be completed before you two are married." Elliott looked to Barnabas and watched him lower his chin and sighed sadly.

"What is the matter Barnabas you seem distressed." Julia was showing her concern.

Barnabas looked up, "I fear that because the experiment was not a success, it might be better if I broke the engagement to Vicki and we not get married."

A soft gasp from the head of the stairs and all eyes shifted to see a stricken look on Vicki's face the tears burned her eyes. Barnabas realizing she had heard him stood. "Vicki!" He watched in horror to see her turn and dash down the hallway seeking the servant's entrance to the upstairs. Finding it she moved blindly down the stairs catching her foot and falling landing at the bottom of the steps with loud snap as her neck broke and she died instantly. Her eyes fixed open, she looked up shocked and then the life faded from her vision and she breathed no more.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Barnabas realizing what he had done went in pursuit of her and arrived at the top of the steps just as she fell, breaking her neck.

Rushing to the bottom of the steps he cried out "NO!" Lifting her in his arms he cradled her to him and began to weep. Eric, Quentin, and Julia arrived as she died.

"Barnabas come quickly, bring her and follow me time is of the essence. You must hurry!" Eric had an idea and he needed to preserve her brain before it was too late.

With superhuman speed Barnabas was in the basement holding Vicki close, placing her inside the cryogenic tube. Standing back he waited while Eric froze her body and preserved her for reanimation. "How are you going to bring her back Eric?" Barnabas sniffed and wiped his eyes he watched his beloved Victoria frozen in all her anguish beauty.

"I will need a life force. One we can transfer to her to bring her back, I am just hoping we had her frozen in time to make sure her brain did not die. I should have used some of the serum we used on Adam, but perhaps if we find a life force we can bring her back and fix her broken neck by giving her some of your vampire's blood."

Julia made her way down the stairs and to the tube that now held the body of Vicki she looked with sorrow and anger at the corpse and turned on Barnabas. "Why would you do something like this? I think she would have accepted you no matter who or what you were. You were being very selfish."

Quentin had to agree somewhat. " I have to agree to some extent Barnabas, you should have told her and allowed her the right to react to this instead of saying you would terminate your relationship."

Barnabas hung his head the tears were still burning his eyes, he moved to the tube putting his fingertips to the plate he looked at the frozen love that would have completed him. "That is why I want to be the life force that is used to bring her back, surely once you decide to animate her again, you will use the serum then and I have already given much of my blood to Julia, she has specimens of my blood she can use to inject into her neck directly to fix the break."

He was desperate he turned his gaze to those in the room with him. Let us do this now Eric, you have me here, you have her preserved, take my life to give her life!" He turned pleading grabbing Eric's shirt.

"I think we could do this but I am afraid you have already given part of your life force for Adam, Barnabas I fear if we try to use you again you could be drained and die." He was pretty adamant about not using Barnabas.

"Then use mine." Quentin stepped forward looking at his cousin and then to the frozen Vicki. "We could use you Quentin but do you realize you will be tied to Vicki for both of your lives from this point on?"

Barnabas turned "NO! I want you to use my life! I do not care if I die. I want to bring her back and see she lives again. It is because of me she died, now let me to this for her, if anyone should be tied to her in any way it should be me!" Barnabas turned back to the tube and placed his lips on the glass and kissed the area of where her lips were. "Let me do this I beg of you Eric, let me be the one to help bring her back."

Quentin laid his hand on his shoulder, "Why not do what you did with Bradford, allow me to help and use both our life forces to bring her back."

Eric thought a moment and nodded, "We could use the both of you but I am not sure Quentin if you could handled the serum that had to be injected into your system, you do not have a supernatural power." Eric leaned against the table and knew if they were to do this tonight they needed to do it soon.

Quentin turned to look at Barnabas and he made his decision then, turning he looked at all those that were present, Julia, Eric, and Barnabas. "Eric, Julia, there are things about me you do not know. I too suffer from a curse, that of a werewolf. The reason I do not change is because of a picture that was painted by Charles Delaware Tate. You see I am the original Quentin Collins and have lived over one hundred and fifty years."

Quentin leaned against the exam table folding his arms over his chest and crossing his legs at the ankles. "I was cursed by a gypsy for killing her sister who at the time was my insane wife. By insane I mean she was mad with grief and insanity. I had been a rake and a degenerate and cheated on her. She tried to kill me and in the struggle I accidently killed her."

Quentin looked down at his feet and sighed. "Her sister was a gypsy just as Jennie was a gypsy. Magda Rakowski cursed me. Then a man entered my life. What I had not realized at the time was this man was evil incarnate but he knew of a way to cure me of my curse. What he intended was to take over and live out his live as me with me trapped in his aged and crippled body."

"So he had Tate paint the picture and my curse was trapped in the portrait. However, what he failed to tell me was that this picture was my Achilles heel. Should anything happen or destroy the picture I would revert and die. I am an immortal. The upside of this is if I get cut, the picture bleeds not me. So you see I can take the serum you were talking about and my life force would be drawn from that picture which would actually help her live longer."

He paused to watch the reaction to those in the room. Julia was stunned, Eric was excited and Barnabas appeared to be grateful. "So you see that is why I am the best candidate for being a life force transference." He uncrossed his ankles pushed off from the table and stood looking at those present. "So are we ready?"

Julia moved to the cabinet and began to prepare the serum, Eric, rolled another table into the room. "We will do this in three sections. First, I will thaw Vicki's body, inject the vampire blood into her neck, the fracture should heal immediately with the direct contact to the blood. The vampire blood should also preserve upper brain functions." Eric's mind was working so fast and he could visualize how this would play out, he was playing god, he was creating life. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Then we will begin to stimulate her brain with a shock halo. It will keep the synapsis alive and working, I will hook up Quentin to the machine first, Barnabas second and then finally Vicki. When I throw the switches, the first flow will come from Quentin and I am going to tell you and warn you that this is going to be very uncomfortable are you sure?"

He glanced at the crestfallen face of his cousin and then nodded. "Of course I am, if it means we have Vicki back as she was. I would walk through hell all nine of them to see her back and with my cousin as she should have been."

Eric nodded, "Strip off your coat and shirt and put on that gown over there and you too Barnabas. We are bringing Vicki back now."

The activity in the room became hectic and rushed, Julia injected the serum into both their veins and then Eric slowly thawed Vicki's body and placed her gently on the table putting wires to her head and began to send electrical impulse to her brain. Julia looked with loving care at the woman she had grown to love as a daughter, rolling her to her side she injected Barnabas blood into her the area that the break occurred. Then rolling her onto her back she injected the serum into her arm.

Barnabas stripped his coat and shirt off and put the gown on and then crawled up on the bed next to Vicki. Eric had placed Vicki in the center between Barnabas and Quentin. Both men reached over and took a cold hand in theirs and closed their eyes. Eric began to throw the first switch. Quentin felt a surge through his body. He squeezed his hands and felt his hand tighten around Vicki's. A huge wave of sickening dizziness moved over him.

Eric pulled and then pushed the second switch. Vicki's body bowed and jumped with the surge of electricity rushing through her body and her eyes flew open fixed and unseeing to the ceiling. Barnabas felt a rush of nausea fill him as the second switch was thrown and then felt Vicki's hand convulse over his hand. Like before with Adam the experience was being repeated and Barnabas felt his body being separated his whole being was experiencing being torn apart from the inside out.

Quentin was mirroring the experience with Barnabas when the second switch was thrown and he tightened his hand over the handrail and screamed out in pain. His mind was filled with a vision of white pain that faded to a red haze of agony that ripped through his body.

Barnabas knew what to expect. The pain was immense and his life was shifting and folding over on itself he saw images from his past. The image of his mother smiling down at him telling him that it would be all right and kissing his forehead she kept reassuring him that there was no such thing as ghosts or monsters that would hide under his bed.

Then he was holding his sister after she had been born, he cradled her securely in her arms. He looked down at the pink little bundled with tuffs of fine hair. She moved her tiny fingers to her mouth and sucked on them, then kicked her legs and yawned. He smiled watching her amazed at how tiny she was.

The image of Josette appeared next to him and spoke softly, "_She is coming back to you Mon Cheri she is heartbroken but she is coming back to you. Just remember what is important to you and do not let it go_."

That image shifted and another appeared, Sarah standing next to him smiling, "_Oh dear brother you are so brave and I love you very much, do not disappoint Miss Winters she loves you as much as I do and Josette." _He felt her hand slid over his hand resting on the rail of the exam bed. Finally the image he had hoped to see. Her tear streaked face looking at him with eyes of love and understanding she reached forward and took her delicate hand gently caressed his face.

Eric threw the third switch, all three convulsed on their beds and Vicki screamed out. It was a loud piercing scream. It traveled upstairs to the others. Adam hearing her scream sat up and dashed out of the room and down the hall to her room and saw she was missing, turning he ran to the top of the stairs and looked down at the older gentleman standing in the hallway looking as concerned as Adam.

"Where is momma? What did she scream?" He moved menacingly down the stairs to tower over Professor Stokes. His brow furrowed and his teeth gritted he heard her scream again. He looked to the hallway and the lab below. Pushing Elliott aside he dashed down the stairs.

Quentin gritted his teeth and felt his body grow weak for a moment and then a surge of life flowed throw him and out into Vicki. Once again he tightened his hand around Vicki's hand and squeezed and to his surprise felt her respond by squeezing his hand back.

Barnabas had felt this before and braced himself for the surge and the feeling of weakness. Just as Quentin had done he squeezed her hand and felt joy rush through his body feeling the hand he held squeezed his back. The power reached its maximum and the power had been sustained for five minutes, he lowered the switches and the power was shut down. Quentin passed out, Barnabas closed his eyes and exhaled and he felt it, he felt human again but oddly there was an addition to this new feeling.

He no longer had the knowledge that he needed to prey on others for blood, he was free of that need, the other interesting affect he was having was feeling hungry for food. He took a deep breath and could feel his lungs expanding. Oddly enough he still had his acute sense of sight, it appeared to be enhanced, and the smell was very heightened. He could even hear Adam and Stokes conversation upstairs. The one thing he could hear was two heartbeats close to his and then realized that one of those heartbeats was his.

Turning his head he looked at Vicki lying between them. He could hear her heartbeat and he watched her chest moved up and then down. She was breathing. He had retained some of his vampiric abilities but was no longer tied to the blood lust or the need to seek out blood. His voice was hoarse as he called "Julia! Julia!"

Julia moved to his side her gaze was filled with joy and amazement. Pulling her stethoscope out to lay it against his chest she spoke softly. "Your heart is beating Barnabas." She moved over to Vicki and listened and she smiled.

Eric moved to Quentin and patted his face waiting for him to come around and open his eyes. Slowly Quentin opened his eyes looking hopefully to Eric. "Did it work?"

Then he got his response when Vicki spoke softly, "Barnabas?" She squeezed Quentin's hand and turned her head to look over at Barnabas. He looked into her eyes and frowned, there was a difference there. She was his Vicki but this had changed her a little. Her eyes held a mystic look to them when she looked into his eyes.

"Vicki?" He spoke her name softly. He watched concerned over what could have happened to change her eyes. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes Barnabas, it is I Victoria Winters. Thank you for being so kind to me. Please tell your mother I am sorry that I am going to have to leave Collinwood. It will be hard leaving you and Sarah, you see I have fallen in love with you and I cannot stand by and watch you with Josette. It is too hard. So please forgive me."

Saying those words they ripped through him she had fallen in love with him in 1796? His mind was swirling with a thousand questions. "Julia why is she thinking she is still in the past?"

Julia sighed, "The trauma and thought of loosing you has muddled her memories Barnabas, give her time she will be back to normal and will remember the present."

He watched Vicki she turned her chin and looked at Quentin. She smiled at him, "Hello, I don't believe we have been properly introduced. I am Victoria Winters Sarah Collins' governess and you are?"

Quentin looked confused, why did she think she was in the past? "Hello, my name is Quentin Collins, it is a pleasure to meet you my dear."

"Collins? Are you related to Joshua, Naomi and Barnabas?" She looked confused she studied the handsome man next to her who was holding tightly to her hand.

"Why yes, I am one of their cousins." He thought he had better just play along with this.

"Oh like Millicent, well I am pleased to meet you and will regret not staying around to get to know you. I fear I must leave and go to New York, you see I fear that Abigail Collins wishes to have me prosecuted for witch craft but I am not the witch doing all these ill deeds, I believe the witch to be Angelique Collins."

Eric was watching this with open fascination she spoke of her journey back in time. He turned to Julia. "How long do you suppose she will have these delusions?"

Julia shrugged. "It is hard to tell, the shock of Barnabas rejecting her and then that fall and I am not sure what kind of after affect she will have because of her death and we circumvented the death. You know we played God here Eric so we are going to have anomalies that we were not sure would be there."

Eric nodded, "I suppose we cross the bridge when we come to it?" He looked at Vicki then to Barnabas, finally to Quentin and sighed. "We need to get them off the exam beds and to regular beds. Do you suppose this time we got the curse from Barnabas?"

Julia nodded, "I believe now he is tied to Adam and Quentin, Bradford and Vicki. Although we think the tie to Bradford was broken at Bradford's death. I now believe that the three of them share one third each of the life force and will be tied together. What the out come of this will need to be studied I am sure."

"Yes, we will need to monitor them all. It is a shame that Bradford had to be eliminated he would have made an excellent second study that we could have published on him and stood the world on its head. It would have vindicated you."

Julia sighed, "But now as members of the illuminati we are bound by their oath and we will make our own name in a different area, just look what you did, you brought Adam to life and now you saved Vicki and brought her back from the brink of death.

"I am hoping she had not crossed into that area of where the brain dies and the soul leaves her body. I am hoping we preserved the soul and her brain. It seems to be a little scrambled right now with her thinking she is in the past."

Julia shrugged, "I believe it was the trauma she was reacting to. We must give her time to regain her strength. Then we will try and bring back her memories from the past. My heart just goes out to her because she had been through so much."

Eric nodded, "But our success is in absorbing the curse into her body and leaving Barnabas human. Now he has no obstacles to stand in the way of his marrying Vicki." He kissed Julia on the forehead just as Adam made his way to the basement lab.

He looked at Vicki on the bed and frowned. "Why was momma screaming?" His anger was palatable as he glared at Eric and Julia.

"Momma fell and had a bad accident and we fixed her, she felt the pain and screamed from the pain and now she is better. Go look Adam she is sleeping and resting well." Eric entreated him to examine Vicki.

Vicki had closed her eyes and fallen into an exhausted sleep. Adam went over to the table and looked down at her. "She is different, she is like me now." He muttered he sniffed her hair and ran a finger over her face.

Eric frowned, "Why do you say that Adam, what do you mean she is different and she is like you?" He was interested to hear his answer. Stokes had moved down the stairs to the lab. Pausing in the doorway he lifted his monocle to peer around the room.

Adam looked up, "Because she smells like me, she has been dead and brought back." Adam gently ran his fingertips through her hair. "That is why she is momma." His words were soft and said with reverence.

Barnabas watched the large man hoover over Vicki, while she lay sleeping and frowned. "I think we need to get everyone out of here and up to a bed." Adam looked over at the man that had just spoken.

Cocking his head to the side he frowned, "I know you. You were there with the bad man that wanted to hurt momma. You were fighting with him."

Quentin opened his eyes and felt his strength returning he spoke softly, "The bad man is gone and will not harm us again."

Adam turned his gaze on Quentin, "And you were there leading the bad man away." He studied Quentin and smiled, "You are a lot like me too only different."

Stokes was curious. "How is he different?" Adam turned his head to study the man with the one glass that now hung from a chain around his neck.

"He is different but like me. He cannot die, I can. Now Momma can live longer too. She is like me and like him and that one over there." He nodded to Barnabas.

Barnabas was curious he studied Adam, why had he not been affected to his giving up his life force, whey did he not feel what Barnabas had felt. It was a puzzle he would worry over later for now he was happy, he was human again and he could marry Vicki.

The group were led to rooms upstairs and put to bed to rest. Adam kept close to Vicki she was laid to rest in the bed she had occupied earlier. Adam gently pulled the covers up over her body. Tucking it around her neatly he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you momma, you rest."

Stokes then gently led him away from the room and Vicki. "Come my boy it is time we got acquainted. I am Professor Stokes, but you may call me Uncle Elliott." Adam gave one last look at Vicki as she slept and lost sight of her as the door closed.

Leading Adam down the stairs into the library to the desk, he set him at the desk. "I have a few tests I wish to give you Adam, to see how much you can learn and what kind of candidate you will be for my teachings. I think momma should teach you the rudiments of the alphabet, reading, writing, and arithmetic. Then I will instruct you the other aspects of learning or a higher form of education."

Adam sighed deeply and nodded, "I will learn what you want to teach me Uncle Elliott. I would love to have momma teach me too. Where will I live? Will I live with Momma?"

Elliott sighed, "Well for now we need you to live here with your Uncle Eric and your Aunt Julia, then when you get more mature with your learning abilities we will see about giving you a room at my house. Would you like that?"

Adam thought about it, "Why can't I live with momma?" He was about to pout and Elliot was amused to see such a large man being very childish when he did not get his way.

"Because momma lives with other people and does not have a place for you to stay with her, so you will stay here for a while then with me. I assure you, we will make sure you see momma every day."

Adam thought about this and smiled. "Then I will stay here as long as I can see Momma all the time."

"No Adam you will see her every day for school work and to be with her, but you will not see her all the time. That is a misconception I will not have you manipulate or perpetrate is that understood?"

Adam lowered his head and nodded, "Yes Uncle Elliott, I understand. May I go see Momma again?"

"You may see her later she had a nasty fall and she needs to rest so she can get better to be here for you."

Adam smiled. "Okay Uncle Elliott I will be patient."

Elliott patted his shoulder. "Good now let us begin with the first part of the test."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Vicki sat on the window seat looking out her bedroom window. Night had fallen and for some odd reason she felt a peace fall over her watching the sunset. Pulling her housecoat closer to her body, she watched a car approach the front of the house and sighed. It must be Julia, she had been coming to council with her for the past week and for the life of her Vicki did not understand why she had to come? She was beginning to get irritated with all the questions that Julia had for her. Why was it so hard to understand, she went back to the past and she was back.

Standing she folded her arms over her stomach, moved to her dresser and picked up her hairbrush. It was simple enough that this time while in the past she had fallen in love with Barnabas and it was that Barnabas she loved not the one living in the old house. How could she stand by and watch him with Josette?

It broke her heart to just think about it. It was strange the Barnabas from that time frame held her heart and the Barnabas from this time wanted her heart. How could she be true to him if she still loved the Barnabas from long ago? Moving to the music box he had brought her she opened the lid and listened.

This melody used to bring her such joy; she could listen to it for hours and get lost in the melody appreciating the tone and quality of the antique from a day she had lived through. Closing the lid she sighed, it made her depressed to listen to it now.

A soft knock on the door told her Julia must be on the other side until she heard Mrs. Stoddard's voice. "Vicki, it's Elizabeth Stoddard may I come in?' The sound of the woman's voice gave her a feeling of security.

"Yes, of course Mrs. Stoddard do come in." She put her hairbrush down and turned to watch the door open waiting for Mrs. Stoddard to move into her bedroom. Vicki managed a smile of welcome to her employer. "My dear why don't you get dressed and come downstairs? We miss you and would love to see you acclimate yourself back into our lives." Elizabeth was concerned, she had been told what had happened and the thought of her actually dying and then being brought back was a little much for her to bear. The thought of losing her daughter a second time made her stomach knot.

A part of her wanted to tell her she was a Collins and her daughter, the common sense part of her did not want to bring that into this situation until she was stronger emotionally. "You know Barnabas has been by every night this week, he really wishes to see you. He is very concerned for your well-being."

Vicki turned moving to the window seat to sit on the edge and peer out at the front lawn, the new moon had moved into position and no moonlight was forthcoming. "I suppose I should go down and tell him my decision." She spoke softly.

"Your decision about what Vicki?" Elizabeth moved to sit next to her taking fingertips to lift her chin and peer into her eyes. "Vicki what is the purpose for a decision to be made?" Elizabeth saw the look in her eyes and frowned, it was the first time she saw her gaze close down.

"That I think we should rethink our engagement. Perhaps I should leave Collinwood for a while. I think I need a vacation and to be away from everyone until I can think clearly. I have lost so much and I fear I am going to loose more before this month is out." Her words had been so coldly assessed and not at all like Vicki.

Liz was alarmed; she could not deny her the right to leave. A part of her would be relieved if she did leave, but another part of her as warring with the fact she owed it to Vicki to tell her the truth. Lowering her fingertips from her chin Liz looked down at her hands. "Vicki, I am going to ask you not to make that decision just yet; I want you to wait before you make your final decision."

Liz stood and turned moved to the four-poster bed; lifting her hand to the post she thought a moment and then spoke what was in her heart. "I am asking you to stay for now. It is purely selfish of me to ask this of you after all you have been through but I will make it worth your while if you stay." Liz turned to peer at the young woman that was her daughter. "I feel you are a part of this family. That to lose you now would break our hearts especially David's who has grown so close to you."

Liz considered her next words before she spoke softly, "As for Barnabas, I urge you to speak with him. He deserves to know your feelings what is in your heart. You say you love a man that is long dead, that means you need to live in this century and find that love for the same man in this century. The man in this century loves you completely."

Vicki looked down at her hands and thought about what Elizabeth was saying. "I know it is silly of me to love the one from another century that I have no right to love. The one from this century is so like him in many ways." Vicki stood walking to face Liz her heart feeling torn apart for an odd reason. " I fear that he may just be idolizing an image of what he thinks he wants and his heart is not committed. I want a man that is willing to commit to me and frankly I get the feeling that he is just paying lip service to me."

Elizabeth knew exactly what Vicki was wanting, had she not wanted and expected the same thing when she married Paul Stoddard? Why could she expect any less from her own daughter's standards? Taking a deep breath she put to words what she had been thinking, "I just ask you search your heart, with everything you have been through perhaps you are feeling confused? Perhaps what you felt for that Barnabas is actually what you were feeling for this Barnabas all along."

Vicki had to consider her words; turning she moved to her closet. "I saw a car coming up the drive, was it Julia?" She asked absently while pulling out a sweater and skirt. It was also her way of changing the subject. Laying the garments on the bed, she looked up studying Elizabeth's face.

"No, it was George Patterson. There was an escape from the prison not far from here, he is putting the town on a ten o'clock curfew and wanted me to know." Liz thought about George and looked to Vicki, what would she think if she knew he was her father?

Vicki sighed, "I see. Has anyone called Barnabas' to let him know?" Vicki laid out clean under clothing, preparing for a bath and to change.

"He is down stairs Vicki, he wants to know if you will see him. He looks ghastly. He is beside himself with worry. He seems to have given up on life." Liz tone was disconcerting and alarming to Vicki.

"I see, he feels he needs to see me? I recall he was thinking of calling off our engagement prior to my accident." Vicki's tone had taken on a resentful and hurt tone. She turned away from Liz moving back to sit on the window seat.

"Vicki do you think that is what is influencing your feelings about wishing to leave more than your feelings you had for Barnabas from the past?" Liz had to wonder if this is what caused the accident and now her attitude.

"Maybe, I am not sure what is causing these mixed emotions. I suppose I should see him, if you wish you might tell him I will be down in shortly. I need a quick shower. If Julia comes tell her I really don't feel like doing a session tonight, I need a break from the endless questions."

Liz was concerned, Vicki was sounding petulant, spiteful, and angry. Perhaps what needed to be furthered was the anger, if she got the anger out, perhaps she would not be so apathetic something she had never shown before. "I will tell him and keep him entertained until you join us." Liz moved to the door paused turned and looked back, "Vicki consider that maybe you are hurt because you feel rejected and that this is the way you are dealing with your feelings in this manner. You have to see Barnabas just to see how badly he has taken all that has happened to you." Not waiting for a response, Liz moved from the room to leave Vicki with her thoughts.

Barnabas watched the fire as it danced in the fireplace. The flames changing colors, burnt embers filtering up the chimney to mingle with the smoke. The colors changed with each shift, each addition of air added to the mix to allow new colors to emerge and images to shift in its graceful dance. The heat was something Barnabas could now feel and truly appreciate. Before the cold meant nothing to him. Since becoming human he could appreciate how the heat took the chill from the air and his body. His gaze shifted to the movement in the hallway and he stood expectantly. His disappointment was evident on his face watching Elizabeth enter the room.

"She still refuses to see me." He spoke in a statement rather than question. His face showed he had a resigned sadness that had become so much a part of his life that joy appeared to never be allowed in.

"No she will be down in a little bit, she is taking a shower. She said she would see you." Liz looked away from Barnabas she walked to the window to look out over the front lawn. "Barnabas, she wants to leave Collinwood. She told me you said you wanted to end your engagement?" Liz turned to lock her gaze on her cousin.

Barnabas looked down and sighed. He looked defeated. "I felt I was not good enough for her, perhaps that she should try and find a better life with someone else. That was until she fell and nearly killed herself." Barnabas stood and moved to stand next to Liz.

"Nearly killed herself? I thought Julia said she did die?" Liz was confused she listened to this new piece of information being imparted by her cousin.

Barnabas nodded, "Clinically, she was dead, it was with Dr. Lang and Julia's quick response we got her back. It was in that moment that I knew that I could not live without her and needed her in my life." Barnabas had noted how quickly Liz was jumping to protect her little chick like a mother hen.

"Barnabas she is very confused and very vulnerable. I don't want her hurt. I think she needs to know that your heart is in this engagement she feels you are presenting her with what she called lips service, which means telling her what she wants to hear. If you are not truly committed to her, then I would suggest that you break this engagement and allow her to leave."

Barnabas looked Elizabeth in the eye. "She is my life Elizabeth, she is my soul and my heart. I could not live without her. The thought of not having her in my life is like a death sentence to me. I do love her, I just want to be worthy of the love she gives me."

From the doorway a soft voice interrupted the conversation. "Why would you not think you were worthy Barnabas? Why would you even consider that I would not accept you for who you are or for that matter what you are? You do me a grave disservice by even considering that."

Both turned to see a pale image of a once vibrant woman standing in the doorway looking lost and deserted. Barnabas smiled and it lightened the long held sad look to his countenance while he studied her.

"Vicki, when I said that I should break our engagement. I was under a lot of duress and I must be the first to admit of my own insecurities when it comes to you. I only wanted you to know that I felt unworthy to be the recipient of your love or attention and nothing more. Never have I loved anyone more than I love you this day." He turned to move towards her and noted she appeared to be a doe about to take flight. This hurt him deeply to see her recoil from his presence in such a manner.

"I heard you say it would be better for us to not be together. I accepted it then Barnabas, though it cut me deeply, I accepted it. If you are still of a same mind, then I will freely release you from your obligation to me and accept your friendship." Her words were strong filled with emotion of a brave front that belied her inner turmoil of feeling rejected and no longer loved.

Elizabeth felt it was time to take her leave. "I think you both should set down and discuss this whole situation and be honest with one another. I will take my leave." She moved to the double doors, pulling them closed behind her. Leaving them in the room in silence.

Vicki moved to the sofa and sat. Folding her hands primly in her lap she looked at her nails. "I must confess, that while in the past I found I had feelings for your great, great grandfather Barnabas. I at one point thought I was falling in love with him. I knew he would be with Josette and felt I was intruding on that love and had no right to interfere though it tore my heart in two."

He listened stunned; he knew he had feelings for her in the past, those newly found memories that came to surface after her trip to the past. Hearing her confess her feelings for him this way was gut wrenching. "I came back feeling I had betrayed you in some ways and thought perhaps it was reflected in my actions towards you."

She took a moment to glance up and saw his look. It was a look that confused and confounded her. "You look surprised. Why? Surely you felt that I was drifting away from you."

"Vicki there is something I need to tell you but not here, not in this house. I would dearly appreciate you coming back to the Old Hose with me so we can speak in private. You as my future wife should be allowed all information concerning me and my past."

He had moved to kneel at her feet peering into her confused gaze. Taking her hand in his he gently held her fingers, then lifted them to his lips and kissed them with a familiarity that reminded her of his great, great grandfather. "There are memories I must share with you. I want you to know all there is to know about me."

Vicki felt his confusion more acutely than ever before and she felt his intense sadness. "All right I suppose we could go to the old house to talk. Will you allow me to tell Mrs. Stoddard of our plans and get the car keys; I really feel we should not be walking in the woods tonight. There is a feeling of unrest in the night."

The way she had spoken of the unrest in the night was very much similar to how he used to feel the area around him while he was still a vampire. She looked to the darkness that had gathered around the patio and gardens outside. "Usually there is peace in the night, with no moonlight it seems the children of the night are anxious and afraid."

He was growing concern over her melancholy that she seemed to be expressing to him and surprised at how closely it resembled his own melancholy when he was trapped as a child of the night. Trying to show he was not growing alarmed over her train of through he spoke softly, "If that is what you wish to do my dear. Then by all means please avail yourself of your need to attend to telling Cousin Elizabeth."

He helped her to stand then followed her out into the foyer where he found Elizabeth pacing back and forth, "Mrs. Stoddard, Barnabas and I are driving to the old house to continue this discussion. May I use the estate car?"

Liz smiled if they were willing to discuss this further and in Barnabas' home then perhaps their relationship was salvageable. "Why of course you may use the estate car. Just remember there is a curfew and you should be back before ten o'clock."

Barnabas smiled, "Do not worry, if our discussion goes past that time, then by all means she will stay at the old house until morning." Vicki seemed to tense hearing this but said nothing further. She drove them to the old house in virtual silence. Entering the drawing room she allowed Barnabas to take her coat. She moved to sit in the chair by the fire and watched the flames feeling detached and isolated. Barnabas moved to the bar, poured them a drink and brought it back to her.

"Victoria, when I first came to Collinwood, I was not normal. I had issues that were from my past and I allowed them to interfere with my way of living and dealing with people." His words were steady and soft. He began to explain how his life had been solitary with only the company of his mother and father who had been strict in his upbringing.

He spoke of his little sister who was named Sarah, how at an early age had died, then he spoke of things that were so familiar to her it was as if she had lived it. He had an affair with a woman that had been the wife of his Uncle. The story was so strongly associated with his great, great grandfather that it was uncanny.

"I went to the Caribe to acclimate the newly engaged bride to the way of life here. While there I met the most extraordinary woman. She was beautiful, she was so articulate, cultured and she captured my heart making me forget every other woman that I had ever known because she had enchanted me with her intelligence, her tender qualities, and her beauty."

Barnabas went down on his bended knee again kneeling before her, searching her gaze to see if she understood what he was saying. "Victoria, that woman was you. I fell in love with you that day on the beach, before that wretched ingrate interfered with our time. You were like a water nymph the way you danced into the waves and allowed them to chase you back to shore."

Vicki was stunned, he was telling her of the first time they had walked hand and hand on the beach those lost years ago. "But, Barnabas that was your great, great Grandfather not you. You are too young to have been there. Surly you are recalling letters you read or a diary he must have written."

Barnabas lifted her hand and kissed the palm. "I am not recalling it Victoria, I lived it. I was there; you see once you exchanged places with the other Victoria, and came back here I was lost."

He stood and moved to peer out of the front window at the darkness and found his keen eyesight had not been removed with his conversion to human again. "The natural course of my history was then played out when Josette matured and came to Collinwood to marry Jeremiah."

He took a deep breath lowered his voice to a softness that she could hear him easily though another might would have to strain to hear him. "I am the original Barnabas Collins, placed under a curse by the witch Angelique. I along with Peter Bradford was doom to never love, to never know the light of day again and to live by the night and seek the blood of another as our means of living."

He lowered his chin and sighed deeply as he finally told her of his past and who and what he was. He felt a soft touch on his arm, then the press of her body to his body. "So, you are telling me that you are a vampire?" She asked filled with trepidation but a need in her drew her to him to hold him and give him comfort.

"Was a vampire, the night you heard me talking of breaking our engagement I was still a vampire. Dr. Lang had a treatment that would take my curse from me and restore me to human form to be able to love as a normal man. The first time he did the treatment, Bradford interfered and the process was not successful."

He turned to pull her into his arms. He placed his chin on her head, then lowered his eyelashes and sighed feeling her there was making him feel complete. "The success I had in being restored to human I owe to you Victoria. You were not clinically dead; you were dead with a broken neck. When you died, I died with you." He pushed her back to look into her eyes.

"Lang used my life force and Quentin's to bring you back, and he used my vampire blood, which has amazing healing powers to mend your neck. It is because of you that I am human once again and it did not diminish my capacity to love you as you should be loved, it made me love you more."

Vicki placed her fingertips on his cheek; she looked deep into his eyes and saw her children in his eyes. She smiled and said, "Kiss me Barnabas, hold me and kiss me and love me." He bent his lips to capture her lips kissing her deeply. Holding her tightly to his body.

Breaking the kiss he looked into her eyes and said, "Victoria Winters will you do me the honor of being my wife, to have and to hold me, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer until death do we part?" He smiled watching her face brighten the look he had come to know and love in her eyes told him what he needed to know.

"Barnabas Collins, I will take you, hold you in sickness and n health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer until death do we part, though it appears we have access to defeating death." She smiled at her little pun she had made. Wrapping her arms around his neck she nestled up against him.

"Do you know what I would like?" She whispered against his neck. Nuzzling him she shifted her body so they were entwined in each other's hold.

"No what would you like?" He whispered against her lips, relishing the taste of her she nestled to him like a fine kid glove.

"I would love to have our honeymoon in Martinique, so we can find that beach and walk along it once more and recapture that time we fell in love with each other." She smiled into his eyes and watched his reaction to her request.

"It will be my honor to take you back to that house. I just so happened to have bought that house about three months ago. I had Trask research the deed and the new owners and they are restoring the house now. It was going to be my wedding gift to you once we were married." He felt her relax in his hold and the tension leaving her body allowed her natural glow to flow through them both.

"Then by all means let us have our honeymoon at that house. I need some time to think about this information you have given me and I really would like to know how many others knew about your special condition before you decided to tell me."

Barnabas tensed, "Well Lang, Julia, Quentin, Willie, and Professor Stokes are the only ones that knew. We needed to keep it pretty much a secret to protect me when I was vulnerable during the day light hours."

Vicki nodded, "I understand. We can talk about this later, for now it is getting late and I should be going back to Collinwood for the night."

Barnabas held her, "Stay here and let me hold you for the rest of the night, say you will belong to me again and make my life complete."

Vicki laughed, "Let us just say tonight is our and just the beginning for the rest of our lives."

So ends this chapter of Vicki and Barnabas' life.

The next chapter begins with Shadows Darkest Secrets, one secret is out to Vicki how will she react when Elizabeth reveals she is her mother and Willie meets his sister who has her own secret to hide.

_I dedicated this book to my beautiful niece who too soon was taken from this world and us. She will be forever 37, her death was unexpected and sudden. Leaving us bereft and missing her. Rest in Peace my Sweet Rebecca or my Baby Boo Aunt Jo loves you_.


End file.
